The story so far
by tasraeles
Summary: This is not a story, for personal use only.
1. Chapter 1

Arashi rode on a motorcycle, through the rocky terrain that had been formed due to the Planet's mysterious behaviour. Earthquakes erupted at random and entire land areas were modified by the Planet to fit it's spiking and somewhat sinister behaviour.

_Something is definetly up....I need to find out soon what it is. I sense something....bad...coming._ Arashi thought as he surveyed the land.

* * *

Alistair crossed stepped out of the Greyrose family manor and strode out of the town to the coast to practice his magic. He crossed his arms and gaze up at the sky, noticing the clouds forming on the horizon.

_"The weather's been strange lately, and that's nothing compared to the earthquakes. I'd better practice harder to make sure I'm prepared if the time comes to fight."_

Samora smiled as she paid the cab driver who had taken her to the outskirts of Edge, now the most advanced and largest city on the entire Planet. She hoped that maybe a doctor or scientist could help her understand what was going on. She just hoped she wouldn't regret leaving her mother by herself.

* * *

Arashi slowed his motorcycle down slightly as he rode as he rode up to a large gate that read "**GREYROSE"**.

_Hmm...._

* * *

Alistair turned and saw a small vehicle stopping in front of the village.

"Who could that be?"

Alistair's curiosity got the better of him and he strolled back to see who this newcomer might be.

* * *

Arashi watched as a young man strolled to the gate and got off of his bike. "Hey, I'm Arashi." he called.

* * *

"Pleasure, I'm sure," Alistair replied, surveying the teenager in front of him. Was he simply passing by, or was he here to make trouble?

"I'm sure you wouldn't mind obliging me with your purpose here?" he asked.

* * *

Arashi narrowed his eyes. The guy talked kind of funny. _He's probably from a noble family._

"Well, I'm looking for... a library. Do you have any books on Geostigma?" Arashi asked.

* * *

Alistair raised an eyebrow. "You have an interest in Geostigma? Interesting...Well the Greyrose manor has a large library and I'm sure I've seen some books on that particular subject in there. You can come in with me then if you like. Alistair Greyrose, by the way," he replied, holding out a gloved hand.

* * *

Arashi shook his hand. "Nice to meet you." Arashi said. "Yeah, I need to find out the effects of Geostigma on the human body...I believe that my father may have died from it." _And that the Planet itself might be infected...._

* * *

Alistair's face fell a little. "Oh I see. My apologies. Follow me inside and I'll see if I can't get one of the maids to cook something up for us while you look.

* * *

Arashi nodded and followed Alistair inside, his eyes widening at the large mansion. He whistled slightly. "This all yours?" he asked.

* * *

Alistair gave an amused smile. Normally someone gawking at the manor would have annoyed him but he was in a good mood today. A visitor was always a welcome change of pace.

"Yes, the Greyrose family founded this village a very long time ago and built the mansion as their seat of power, so to speak. Here's the library," he said, walking into the expansive room. "Feel free to browse around. I'll go the kitchen to see what I can bring back."

* * *

Arashi nodded and walked up the steps towards what he assumed was the library.

Alistair returned to the library later with soup and sandwiches. Setting the food down on a table, he walked over to Arashi.

"Find what you were looking for?" he asked.

* * *

Arashi searched through the shelves and grabbed a book that was entitled _Diseases and Their Effects_. He then turned and nodded. "I think so." Arashi said with a slight yawn.

* * *

Alistair noticed the book. "Good choice. That book was written by a member of RETABLIR. My family has supported them for a while now so they've given us copies of the works they put out."

He sat down in a comfortable leather chair, placed his tray of food next to him, and picked up a book on arcane lore that he'd been reading the other day.

"Take all the time you need," he said.

* * *

The sky had darkened significantly in the past hour and the wind carried the sent of thunder. Uri tilted his head upward and sniffed the air suspiciously. He and Amara had been traveling for better part of the day towards Costa del Sol so they could get passage to Junon, but they were still a far distance from the port city. With the increase of the planet's unrest, the last thing he wanted was to be caught out in a storm.

"What's wrong?" Amara asked easily reading her friend.

"A storm is coming." He snorted and licked his chops. A shiver ran down his spine and he shook it off violently before he continued. "It feels like it's going to be bad. We need to find some shelter."

"Hmm..." Amara made a quick survey of their surroundings and spotted what looked like a large house in the distance sitting close to the ocean. "Think they'll mind if we drop in?"

"I don't think we have a choice. We need to hurry." He looked up at Amara in a serious manner, but his lips curled in a playful grin silently challenging her to a race. Catching on she gave him a wink and took off as fast as her legs could carry her knowing that he would easily match her pace. Together, they made their way to the manor.

* * *

Alistair looked up from his book after a while to see Arashi slumped in his chair sleeping.

_"Must have had a long day,"_ Alistair thought. He got up and looked out the window. He saw that the sky looked like it about to storm. As his eyes traveled down, he saw two figured traveling toward the manor.

_"More visitors?"_ he mused. _"This is an unusual day."_

He descended the stairs and crossed over to the door when he heard a knock on it..

* * *

_Wow, this place is fancy._ Amara thought to herself with a little hum. She fidgetted as she waited for someone to answer the door and Uri sat next to her quietly swishing his tail back and forth. As the door's latch clicked, Amara quickly straightened and prepared her best apologetic smile.

The door opened and her eyes widened in surprise for an instant as she studied the man that stood before her. His hair rivaled Uri's for how red it was and though he may not have been very tall, he certainly had a presence about him. Uri snorted and Amara quickly regained her senses.

"Hi!" She said smiling brightly, "Sorry to disturb you, but we were wondering if we could come in from the storm?"

* * *

Alistair looked with interest from the young girl to her companion.

_"And I thought my last guest was unusual,"_ he thought to himself. He surveyed the skies and wondered what they would be doing out here on a day like this. He opened the door wider and stepped aside to alow them to enter.

"No trouble at all. I'd hate to think of any lady having to brave a storm. To whom do I have the pleasure of meeting?" he asked as he closed the door once they were inside.

* * *

"Amara Eilain and this is Uri." She gestured to her friend, who bowed his head respectly, as the two stepped inside.

"Thank you for letting us in." Uri said politely. He was sincere, but felt ill at ease confined within the unfamiliar space. "We'll leave as soon as the storm passes."

Amara shifted her pack from one shoulder to the other feeling the strain on her back and gazed around the foyer. "You have a beautiful home...Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't catch your name, Mr...?"

* * *

"Alistair Greyrose," he replied, surveying the two with mild interest. It was obvious the two were used to spending a good deal of their time outdoors, not unlike his other visitor, currently sleeping away in his library.

"Well, Amara and Uri, I was just sitting by the fire in the library and having something to eat. If you want to warm yourselves up and get comfortable, you're welcome to join me."

* * *

"That sounds great!" Amara said a little more enthusiatically than she wanted and blushed slightly. Her feet were starting to hurt and her stomach growled at the mere mention of food. They had a hearty breakfast that morning, but the long travel had quickly burned away the meal leaving them hungry.

Uri licked his chops. He could smell the food Alistair had mentioned and had to restrain himself from padding ahead of their host to the source. He set his pace respectfully behind him as they made their way to the library.

* * *

Alistair had to smile to himself when he saw their reactions. They seemed nice enough, and it had been a while since Alistair had been able to interact with people other than the mundane village population. He led them into the library where he saw Arashi still sleeping comfortably in the one chair.

"Help yourselves," he said, gesturing to the food on the table before sitting back in his chair and resuming his place in his book.

* * *

Uri sniffed at the food longingly, but continued to restrain himself knowing how bi-pedals normally did not appriciate him snatching at food with his mouth. Although, it wasn't as if he had a choice in the matter. Amara, seeing his dilema, chose some tasty looking treats for the two of them and plopped on the floor in front of the fireplace, letting out a groan as she did. Uri settled down beside her and nibbled at the morsel she held out for him.

She studied the boy that sat slumped over asleep in the chair and smiled to herself. "I see we're not your first guests." She remarked causually to Alistair.

* * *

Alistair looked up from his book at Arashi before turning back to Amara.

"Yes, he arrived a little while before you did. Apparently he was interested in searching through my books, though it would seem his body chose sleep as the more preferred pastime. So, what are you and your companion doing wandering around these parts? I would have thought it unusual before but nothing these days seems to faze me."

* * *

_Yes, these days are strange. _Uri thought to himself. He glanced at Amara from the corner of his eye interested in what she would tell the man. She was never one to open up to strangers and their journey was of a very personal nature for her.

"I felt restless at home." She said simply, "My friend here didn't want me traveling alone so he decided to come along." She affectionately ruffled his mane and passed him another piece of food before gobbling the rest herself. After he had swallowed, he curled up and shut his eyes.

Amara followed his example and laid back against his side trying to make herself comfortable. She listened as the storm rolled overhead and broke into a loud thundering boom. Her eyes ran over the redheaded man and she tilted her head thoughtfully at him.

"Do you like living here?"

* * *

Alistair was caught off-guard by the question. He thought it was interesting that she gave so evasive an answer about herself, then asked him a personal question like that. He would have considered that rude but the girl and her companion had sufficiently interested him now to overlook that. He looked thoughtfully around the room for a moment befoe answering.

"I guess you could say that I've been desiring a change of scenery lately. Luxury and comfort is fine, but it doesn't supply a purpose. I think I'd like to find one someday soon," he said, the added with a smile, "And if that takes me away from here, I doubt I'd make too many complaints."

* * *

Arashi yawned and wiped his eyes and then looked down at the book on diseases and rubbed his chin. "Genu varum, Genuphobia, Geographic tongue...ah Geostigma." Arashi said as he looked down, his eyes narrowing slightly.

* * *

Seeing that the boy had awoken, Amara perked up and smiled in his direction.

"Hi there." She said, "I'm Amara...oh sorry, didn't mean to interupt."

* * *

Alistair heard mumbling from his other guest and turned his eyes from the girl and her companion to the boy slumped in the other chair. He didn't have anything to add at the moment so he waited quietly for the guests to get acquainted.

* * *

Arashi squinted at her and shook his head. "No bother. My name's Arashi." he answered before looking down at the book. He then looked up and noticed the wolf-lion. He then smiled at it. "Cool, a wolf-lion."

* * *

Uri's ear twitched at the mention of him and he sat up and yawned. He gazed over at the young lad and bowed his head respectfully. "Uri, pleasure to meet you."

* * *

Arashi gawked at the male. "He can talk?" he asked.

* * *

Alistair raised an eyebrow. "You're not very educated, are you?" he said.

* * *

"Actually, you'd be surprised how many don't know my kind can speak." Uri corrected the noble politely. Amara turned her head away to hide the smile that crept up on her face. She turned back to the boy and noticed the book he held.

"What are you reading?"

* * *

"I am..." Arashi said, playing it off. he then turned to Amara. "_Diseases and their Effects._"

* * *

Alistair wasn't buying the boy's excuse in any case, but he turned to address the wolf-lion.

"I'm sure you're right. I'd forgotten that well-rounded knowledge is an exclusive privilege," he replied. He heard Arashi explain what book he was reading to the girl and he tried adjusted his attention to them. He was curious as to the nature of the boy's plight and he hoped that Arashi would feel more comfortable divulging to Amara.

* * *

Uri conceded to Alistair's comment and turned his attention to Arashi as he caught what he had told Amara he was reading.

"That is an interesting subject." He replied, his interest piqued. "Why would you be studying that?"

* * *

Arashi stretched and then looked at Uri. "I'm trying to find out the detailed effects of Geostigma. Once I'm done, I'll look up all the information on the Planet that I can....I think I know what's been wrong with the Planet the last ten years...." Arashi said, before burying his face into the book.

* * *

Alistair raised his book up and pretended to read so as not to pressure Arashi with three pairs of inquisitive eyes staring at him but made sure to focus his attention on what the boy said. He was researching the imbalances of the planet? Alistair continued to ponder what could have made this boy decide to take such a large burden.

* * *

"Hmm...interesting." Uri mused then settled back down seeing that Arashi was lost in the book he was reading. Amara quieted down as well sinking back into her previous position next to her friend.

_I thought it was just the elders in the canyon._ She thought to herself with a deep frown and looked into the fire. _It must be more widespread than we thought. I wonder what he thinks could be wrong with the planet?_

* * *

As the four calmly sat in the library while the storm raged on outside, a different storm was raging on the eastern continent.

Aeron stood motionless as he lurked in the shadows. His objective at the moment was to survey the city of Edge to find any geostigma survivors to bring in to FESTANCA for experimentation. Unfortunately for the company, survivors were becoming harder to find these days. Although the sudden influx of survivor deaths meant INQUINA was that much closer to its goal. Still, he waited and watched as people passed by completely unaware of his presence.

* * *

Samora entered the city by bus and then stepped off, initially shocked at how many people were actually crammed into the city.

--------------

Vrede sat in his favorite chair, staring out the window, while getting a good puff of cigarettes. Business at FESTANCA was kicking up, with loads of retrieval missions available. Of course, because of his knowledge of what made his company happy, Vrede made sure "collateral" damage was left, hundreds injured or otherwise killed.

* * *

Elia strolled into the room and spied Vrede sitting in his usual chair.

"Sitting around on your ass, huh? Well, I'm off to target another RETABLIR supporter. Maybe I'll bring you back some momentos," she said with a grin.

* * *

Vrede eyed Elia. "You know damn well that we're on this assignment together. If you weren't taking so long with your hair, we would've been gone already." Vrede said with a frown as he got up.

* * *

Elia glared at him savagely, then suddenly made a cute pout and bent her face close to his.

"Don't you think it was worth it?" she said with a purr, making sure he could see her eyes.

* * *

Vrede rolled his eyes and started to walk away. "Come on, girl." he said simply.

* * *

Arashi sighed and looked at Alistair. "Anything else in there to eat. I'm starving." he said, his stomach growling audibly.

* * *

"Tch," she said, throwing her pigtails back and following him out the door. With any luck, there would be other men during the mission.

"So who's the target?" she asked him, catching up to his pace.

* * *

Vrede looked through a sheet of paper in his back pocket. "Some guy named Alistair Greyrose....came from a wealthy family and joined RETABLIR to try and 'save the Planet'." Vrede said as he handed the paper to Elia. "His photo's on there."

* * *

"Alistair Greyrose huh?" she said, taking the paper. She looked over the picture before giving a squeal.

"Ooh, he's cute! The sexy gentleman type. I'm going to have fun with this. I'll just have to make sure I leave his face intact. I'd hate to scar something so perfect," she said with a wicked gleam in her eyes.

* * *

"I don't think he'd be interested in a squealing, flirty little brat with underlying psycopathic urges..." Vrede replied, before snatching the picture away. "Just make sure you don't try to seduce him like the last guy. I dont want the last thing he remembers to be lusty kiss before he gets a whip around the neck." Vrede walked over to the car and opened his door and got in.

* * *

"Someone's got something shoved up his ass today," she said with a glare. "And if you want to keep on using such...colorful...language about me, you can bet that something will be this."

She brandished her whip menacingly to make a point as she got in next to him.

* * *

Vrede ran his hands through his hair and then stretched. "Whatever. Let's go before the storm kicks in." Vrede replied.

* * *

Elia leaned next to him and breathed against his ear, "Whatever you say," before nipping his ear. She didn't wait to see his response before thrusting the shift into drive and peeling away.

* * *

Vrede's face turned into the definition of disgust and annoyance. _I've been getting this girl as a partner since she joined. I know they want me to keep and eye on her, but she's a friggin' psychopath!_ he thought as he examined his favorite pistol, nicknamed "Lucille."

* * *

Elia smirked oh so slightly when she gazed at Vrede out of the corner or eyes. She knew that she disgusted the arrogant man, but that would only make it more fun when she finally would get to kill him when INQUINA toppled FESTANCA when its purpose came to end. Yes, she would enjoy that day...

* * *

Vrede looked over at Elia. "Do you even know where you're going?" he asked as he put "Lucille" back into her holster.

* * *

Elia rolled her eyes. He always acted like she didn't know what she was doing.

"Of course I know. I have as many missions and kills as you, you know. Just cause I like to play around with my kills more..." she said, trailing off.

* * *

"Don't get me started on your 'playing around' during missions." Vrede said waving his hand.

* * *

Elia rolled her eyes. "What's the point in killing people if you can't have fun with it? It's the agonizing looks on their faces that make it all worthwhile," she said with a sigh.

* * *

Vrede chuckled softly. "I prefer the looks on their faces when you continue to shoot them, even when they've already been fatally wounded...it's priceless." Vrede cracked his neck and turned on the radio.

* * *

Elia nodded. She could respect that too. The noise of the radio came on and Elia took that as Vrede's attempt to end the conversation. So she dived into her own thoughts of how she was going to have fun with Mr. Greyrose.

* * *

The cold corridors of darkness were approaching inside the once bright and heavenly Lifestream. The darkness itself was not energy but a man. The demonic glow in his eyes and the swirling black energy around him made him a fearsome sight...even to the One-Winged Angel.

"This darkness....who are you?" Sephiroth asked. The man in front of him smiled.

"The Destroyer of Unworthy Life and the Executioner of the Weak....I am Bozulma, embodiement of the Lifestream." the man said darkly. (His voice is Itachi's English dub voice) Sephiroth flinched slightly.

"Since when is the Lifestream a destroyer?" he asked. He suddenly realized that the man was no longer in front of him. He turned and saw the demonic entity behind, his fist enveloped with Lifestream energy.

"Now." Bozulma said as he thrust his fist forward.

* * *

Vrede leaned back and yawned as he started to dose.

* * *

"Lazy ass samurai," she sneered, annoyed that his yawn had stirred her from her thoughts.

* * *

Sephiroth jumped forward in a single bound to avoid being impaled. He drew his sword and then pointed it at Bozulma. "How could you become a WEAPON of the Planet? The WEAPONs act on the Planet's will, only unleashing their power when needed, but you use it at your own whim." Sephiroth said as he dashed forward with a swing of his mighty Masamune...

The blade was caught.

Bozulma stared at the shocked man before him and smiled evilly. "Is this what caused so much fear in the hearts of those in Nibelheim that you slaughtered? Pathetic...after all, a sword swung by a brat fighting for his mother is nothing much to fear." Bozulma said with a laugh. Sephiroth's eyes widened in fury as he pulled his sword back and then thrusted it forward again, faster and stronger than the last time.

"Don't you dare insult Mother!" he shouted.

* * *

The storm was increasing in intensity outside the Greyrose Manor suddenly being fueled by the unseen battle between Bolzuma and Sephiroth. Inside, the four heroes sat comfortably unaware of the deadly exchange within the lifestream.

"Sorry about that," Amara said to Arashi with an apologetic look. "we were kind of hungry too. Hmm...let me make it up to you! If it's ok with you, Alistair, I can make something to eat. I promise to clean up after myself."

Uri's ears pricked up at her suggestion and he swished his tail across the floor. He lifted his head and eyed her surprised that she had volunteered to cook in another man's home, she usually wasn't that forward. He had to admit that he was comfortable with the present company, almost as if he had known them for years and maybe she felt the same way. Besides that, he was still a little hungry and her cooking was good.

-------

As his eyes wandered about the streets of Edge, Aeron caught a glimmer of something glowing and pure. He blinked to make sure his eyes were not playing tricks on him, but he had been correct. There making her way down the streets gazing around at the buildings, was a young woman dressed as brightly and cheerful as he was dark and foreboding. More than that, however, was the aura that surrounded her. To his enhanced senses, she stood out like a beacon among the dreary inhabitants of the swarming metropolis.

"How interesting." He said to himself. After a moment of deliberation, he decided to forgo his current objective to observe this puzzling woman. He had a faint feeling she would be an obstacle to his mission.

* * *

The Negative Lifestream surrounding Bozulma came to his defense quickly blocking Sephiroth's strike and nearly sending it right back into his face. Sephiroth darted into the air and disappeared behind Bozulma and slashed at his waist. Bozulma grabbed Sephiroth's sord again and then tossed him into the air. Bozulma smiled.

"Pity...I figured an 'angel' would surely be better sport." Bozulma said with a slight cackle. Sephiroth leapt at Bozulma and initiated Octaslash and swung his long blade at Bozulma, attempting a decapitation on each attempt. Bozulma dodged easily, sidestepping to avoid every incoming attack. He then arrogantly yawned. "Perhaps I should humor you with _true _power." he said as the Negative Lifestream formed around his arm, creating a long and red rapier.

"Genesis' blade? But how?" Sephiroth asked, shocked.

"The Lifestream is made of the memories of the people who pass into it...but there's no need explaining...you'll be dead soon enough." Bozulma said.

"Dead? We're both in the Lifestream." Sephiroth said.

"I mean truly dead...forever consumed by the Lifestream, not this foolish assumption of death that you mortals know." Bozulma said.

"I am no mortal." Sephiroth said as he leapt at Bozulma, firing a blast of energy from the tip of his blade.

* * *

The Planet began to rumble as an unknown battle waged in it's lifeblood. Large rocks spurred from under the concrete streets of cities and highways and buildings began to crumble.

* * *

Alistair raised both eyebrows at her suggestion. She was indeed rather forward with such a suggestion, but he could tell that her intentions were nonetheless noble. He smiled obligingly and nodded his head.

"Of course. If you need any help, you can call one of the maids," he said. "I hope you make a little something for me as well while you're down there. From Uri's reaction, I would guess your cooking skills aren't lacking any."

* * *

"Great, I'm starving!" Arashi said. Suddenly, the ground began to rumble and arashi looked out of the window.

* * *

Alistair felt the vibrations as well and hurried over to the window.

"You said you knew what was wrong with the planet, didn't you...Arashi?" he asked, turning and looking at the boy. "I'd like to know what you think is going wrong now."

* * *

"Holy hell!" Elia screeched, slamming the breaks as a column of earth erupted out of the ground in front of the car. She launched out of the car and began stamping her foot on the ground.

"Damn it! What are we supposed to do now?" she shouted at her partner. "The road just got wrecked!"

* * *

"I think that....well, before I tell you. We need to get out of here. Because there's a ripple of earth coming to destroy your house." Arashi said as he began to race towards the back door.

------------------

Bozulma held his hand up and sliced through the wave of energy and then cracked his neck "This is beginning to bore me." he said bluntly. Sephiroth barely had time to react before Bozulma appearedin front of him. "Those fools thought you were so strong, you were only a precursor of the horrors the inhabitants of the Planet will see once I am unleashed." Bozulma said.

"I'll see to it you aren't unleashed!" Sephiroth said. He augmented his swing with his energy and swung violently at Bozulma, this time slightly incinerating his clothing and knocking him backwards. Sephiroth then raised his hand as a large fireball formed. He then smiled. "Super Nova."

* * *

"Great....stuck out here with you." Vrede said as he put his hands in his pocket. He then looked across the break in the middle and smiled. "I can make that jump." He said as he ran over to the edge and then leapt clean across without much trouble.

-----------------

Samora watched as the buildings and roads began to fall, thousands of people running in different directions aimlessly.

_What is happening?_ Samora asked.

* * *

"Asshole," she shouted as she jumped and made an acrobatic flip to land next to Vrede. "Suck on that."

* * *

"I'd like for you to suck my pistol so I can blow your brains out." Vrede said. He then turned and thought about what he said. "That....came out awkwardly...." he said.

* * *

Elia gawked at him for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing. "You - you are such an idiot!" she howled, slapping her knee.

* * *

Vrede narrowed his eyes and sighed. "Whatever. Whether this Planet goes up in flames or not, I'm not getting my ass fired so let's go." he said.

* * *

Elia sighed dramatically and shook her head. "You really need to get your priorities in order," she said as she followed him.

* * *

The huge sphere of flames sank into the depths of the Lifestream, hopefully carrying with it that maniacal man who had stood toe to toe with sephiroth with ease...but it didn't. To Sephiroth's utter fear, Bozulma remained in the same spot, completely unscathed except for a bit of ash on his clothes that he casually wiped off.

"Was that your best shot?" Bozulma asked mockingly. Sephiroth felt rather than saw Bozulma dash past him. Blood spurted from Sephiroth's waist, neck, and thigh as he fell to the ground. Bozulma walked over towards him and kneeled down next to him. "You put your 'Mother's' will before the will of the Planet and that was your downfall. You lack everything that makes me powerful. Despite your prophetic claims, you are nothing but a sniveling little brat who's trying to avenge his Mother's pain and conquer this Planet for your own selfish gain. It is for this reason that all life will perish. You are all infected and corrupted and therefore, unworthy to survive...good bye, 'One-Winged Angel'. Your wings have been clipped." Bozulma said as he held the rapier up high to perform the finishing blow.

_Mother.....why?_

_

* * *

_

Vrede began to break into a run towards the direction of the supposed residence of the target, taking out Lucille and swirling her around and then putting her back in her holster.

_

* * *

_

Elia dashed up to Vrede and flashed him a savage grin as she pulled out her whip.

"You can kill who you like in the house, but Greyrose is my prey."

She suddenly felt a disturbance in the Lifestream and knew what had happened. _Perfect._

_

* * *

_

"Whatever." Vrede said as he continued running.

_

* * *

_

Elia almost didn't notice the comment, having been lost in her thoughts of Bozulma's victory.

"Good. You're starting to learn," she said demeaningly.

--------------

Alistair whirled about to see Arashi disappear.

"What!" he shouted in surprise. He dashed down the stairs to the kitchento try to reach Amara and Uri in time.

* * *

"What the hell were you staring in space for?" Vrede asked Elia.

* * *

"None of your business," she snarled viciously before giving an extra boost to her speed to get ahead of him.

* * *

_What? Never Mind._ Vrede thought.

* * *

_"Where did he get to?"_ Alistair shouted in his head. He dashed down the ornate hallway and spied the kitchen ahead.

"Amara! Uri!"

-----------------

Elia ran until she came to a small cliff. She stopped and looked to see a small village with a beautiful manor below close to the sea.

_"There it is,"_ she thought, her eyes flashing with bloodlust.

* * *

Vrede took out his pistol and smiled. "Time to kill."

* * *

The chill from the enormous refrigerator drifted past Amara as she searched for ingridients. _Sheesh, he has everything! _She thought as she started humming to herself. After she grabbed a few things she shut the door and set them on the counter. She pulled her hair back and twirled it into a bun then put her comb in place to hold it so it would not be in the way.

As Uri watched her, an unsettling feeling rose in his gut. He got up and started pacing the kitchen, his claws clicking on the marble floor. Suddenly the ground shook violently and he hunched down defensively. A metallic, almost acrid smell filled his nostrils and he choked. _This is different than the other earthquakes._

Pots and pans rattled and fell, clanging as they hit the floor and Amara let out a painful groan. Afraid that she had been hurt, Uri spun around ready to help only to see her bent over clutching her head with an agonized look on her face.

"It's dying! The planet is dying!" She shrieked stumbling to her knees. Her tattoo felt hot on her neck and started burning, but nothing compared to the searing pain that was tearing at her mind. Blood started trickling out of her nose and from her eyes and suddenly she collapsed.

-------

Energy filled Aeron's veins as the earthquake wreaked havoc around him. Buildings crumbled to the ground, giant rubble fell onto the panicked people running for their lives and crushed them like insects. He walked out into the mayhem with a wicked grin on his face as a beautifully malevolent thought entered his mind.

_The beginning of the end._

_------_

"Amara!" Uri rushed over to Amara's side noticing the tattoo on her neck was now glowing. He nudged her urgently trying to get her to wake up and when she didn't move, he whined in worry and frustration. As knives clattered and the floor started breaking, he knew he had to get her to safety. He quickly set his teeth around her belt and started dragging her out of the kitchen. _Times like these I wish I had hands!_ He thought with a growl of annoyance.

He was a few feet from the door when he heard Alistair call their names. "We're here!" He barked back. "Amara needs help!"

* * *

"We're here!" he heard Uri call from the kitchen. "Amara needs help!"

Alistair dashed into the room and took in the scene of the utter chaos that had become of the kitchen and poor Uri desperately dragging Amara to the door.

"Good God! What-" he began, seeing her condition, but then shut his mouth and dived to the ground, scooping the girl in his arms.

"Follow me," he called to Uri as he kicked the door open with his foot and dashed outide. He could see his servants huddled together out of the way, but he kept turning his head this way and that to try to find where Arashi had gotten to.

* * *

Uri rushed outside with Alistair, but stopped in his tracks suddenly remembering all their gear was left in the library.

_Damn!_

"Please, make sure she's safe!" He said to Alistair before he spun around, kicking up dirt and grass as he did, and bounded back into the house. The walls were starting to buckle and crack as he made his way through the hallways to the library. To his dismay, the fire had lept out of the fireplace and set the bookshelves and tapestries ablaze. Amara's pack was sitting in the midst of the growing inferno.

He let out a low growl and leaped over the fire to the pack, snatched it up in his maw and turned to go back out. Before he could make his way through the fire, the ground shifted again making the ornamentation above the doorway crack and crash down cutting off his exit. He frantically looked around through the blinding smoke and, not seeing any other option, he sped to the window and threw himself with all his might at the glass.

It shattered under the immense pressure and thousands of shards of glass exploded outward as he broke through and was followed by a burst of flames that had been fueled by the sudden rush of air. He landed gracefully to the ground, the glass sprinkling like rain around him, and took off back to where he had left Alistair and Amara.

* * *

Alistair was about to protest as Uri dashed inside the house. Seeing that there was nothing he could do, he carried Amara to a nearby rock and rested her against it. He was about to call for for Arashi when a sudden noise of shattering glass gripped his attention and he turned to see Uri falling through the air out of his second story window before landing unharmed and bounding over to them.

"That was really something, Uri," he said, coming to like the wolf-lion very much. Now wasn't the time for complements though. "But what the devil happened to Amara back there?"

* * *

Uri trotted over to them and set the pack down. He sniffed Amara to make sure she was alright before turning to Alistair.

"I wish I knew." He shook his head wistfully then told him what she said before she passed out, "This has never happened before." He poked his head into the pack and pulled out a phoenix down then cast it on Amara. Her eyes slowly opened and she looked around trying to get her bearings. Uri smiled at her then looked back at Alistair. "This quake was different than the others. I smelled something...I don't know exactly what. It was malicious, sinister....evil."

He shook as a chill crept over his spine and bits of dust and debris came spinning off his coat. The breeze blew past them and Uri caught the sent of something approaching.

"What is it?" Amara asked recognizing the look on his face. She dipped her hand into the pack and pulled out her sword and strapped it to her waist.

"Someone is coming." He told her then turned to Alistair. "You better find Arashi, we can take care of ourselves now."

------

The earthquake was starting to die down now, but the effects were still ongoing. People were crying, screaming, wailing and calling out for help. Many were running frantically while others stumbled around in a daze. Aeron watched the choas with mild amusement.

_Soon, you shall all be dead._ The thought was a bizarre comfort to him and an uncharacteristic smile spread across his face showing a line of straight, white teeth. He caught sight of the brightly attired young woman again and his smile was replaced by a frown.

* * *

Alistair hesitated a moment, wondering if it would that right thing to do to leave the girl and the wolf-lion alone. He gave a quick nod, figuring the two knew how to take care of each other, and started to run. The earth thudded dully beneath his feet as his mind raced to find the right course of action. What should he do now that his home was destroyed? Should he travel to RETABLIR headquarters to more actively join their ranks? Or should he try to seek the secrets of the Lifestream, something that his one mysterious visitor seemed to know about.

_"First things first," _he thought. _"I need to find Arashi."_

* * *

Elia had watched the destruction of the Greyrose manor with a sting of disappointment. Perhaps she wouldn't get to spill the Greyrose heir's blood afterall. She glanced over at Vrede and was about to speak when she heard voices from the back of the house and crept closer to see what was happening. Suddenly Alistair was running in the direction opposite her and she felt blood rush to her limbs as she made to chase him when suddenly she caught sight of the young girl, holding a sword and looking this way and that, and her wolf-lion companion. It almost looked as if...

_"They know we're here," _she realized, the thought hitting her like lightning. Her eyes flashed back up to Alistair, who was getting farther away, and she realized her quarry was inadvertently escaping her. She pulled her whip off her belt and licked her lips. No more hesitation. Now was the time to act.

* * *

Bozulma withdrew the dissipating red rapier from Sephiroth's skull and as the fallen angel started to evaporate into the Lifestream for all eternity, Bozulma absorbed his power with a satisfied sigh. "The Planet has been feeling this battle. The very souls in the Lifestream have felt it. What wonderful power, untapped by that buffoon." _This is perfect. I need more infected souls to die before my summoning, but I have a feeling that the Planet and all it's life shall feel the Negative's fury in time. I must now slumber and conserve my energy for that time when I will exterminate all life._

_-------------_

Arashi raced out of the back door and caught a glimpse of a woman with a long whip racing towards Alistair's house. "Dammit. I need to do something." Arashi said as he turned to come back, only to feel the intense tremors of the planet. _This sucks....this REALLY sucks._

_

* * *

_

Alistair stopped running. He knew he that time was of the essence but he had to take things carefully or else he might overlook something.

"Arashi!" he called, trying to keep to a brisk walk. Perhaps the teen had already run off somewhere. Maybe he'd be better off returning to Amara and Uri and seeing where to go from there. He stopped and clenched his gloved hands into fists.

_"Damn...what do I do?"_

_

* * *

_

Arashi caught a glimpse of the girl again and then drew his sword and leapt onto the roof of the house and then down in front of the girl.

"This is a far as you go." Arashi said as he held up his sword.

* * *

Alistair suddenly heard Arashi's voice and turned to see him some distance away, standing in front of a blond young woman.

"Arashi!" he called and ran toward him.

-----------

Elia stopped in her tracks, sizing up this new opponent. She suddenly gave a squeal of delight and said, "Ooh, you're a cutie too! I'm going to get two for the price of one today!"

She came as close as she dared without getting within the range of his sword and gazed into his eyes, trying to hold them on hers as long as possible for her special ability to kick in.

"What's your name?" she asked quietly.

* * *

Arashi blinked, quickly assessing the situation. Something wasn't right about her eyes....

"My name's Arashi Nell'aria." he replied, his voice turning flip-side from his normal goofy voice as he leapt forward with remarkable speed at the girl.

* * *

The hair on Uri's back stood on end and a low growl eminated from his throat. He turned in the direction Alistair had ran off and Amara followed his gaze. A dangerous looking blond woman was facing off with Arashi. Amara stepped forward ready to help but Uri nipped at her.

"No, I'll go. There is someone else here too." She nodded at him and took off to the other side of the house as Uri sped forward to the menacing blond woman and let out a warning howl in hopes of distracting her.

* * *

"Dammit," she hissed, backflipping to avoid his leap. She tossed her whip at his left side, then hooked the end in midair so that the barb made an unnoticeable strike toward his right wrist.

----------

Alistair saw Uri running toward the mysterious blonde so he changed directions and headed toward Amara, who seemed to be waiting for someone else to show up.

* * *

Arashi switched hands and ducked under the whip and then thrusted the blade towards her waist.

* * *

Elia used her feet to propel herself sideways in time to avoid the thrust, then aimed a kick at his elbow, hoping to shatter it from the impact.

* * *

Arashi stared Elia down with killer intent heavy in his eyes as he moved his arm and swung his sword backwards in a 360 motion.

* * *

Elia just caught the swing out of the corner of her eyes and ducked straight down as the blade passed overhead, cutting the tips of the hair in her pigtails.

* * *

Arashi leapt over Elia and crashed down, bringing his sword down in axe motion.

* * *

Elia threw herself to the side, rolling in the dirt as she heard the sword crash into the ground. She flicked her whip in a straight line, her fastest attack, straight at Arashi's neck.

* * *

Arashi was cracked in his neck and sent skidding across the ground, blood dripping freely from his neck.

* * *

Elia got up from the ground and laughed, thinking him down for good. She hadn't enjoyed that fight nearly as much as she thought she would. She liked some fire in her targets. It made it more fun that way. But Arashi seemed to act like he was targeting her, and that pissed her off royally.

"Right in the jugular. Serves you right, damn rat."

* * *

Arashi stood up and sighed at the stinging pain in his neck. Arashi stared at the girl in front of him and then swirled his sword around and then ran forward.

* * *

"What the hell? He should be dead! Damn, I must have just missed it."

She saw Arashi run toward her and smirked. Fine, she was going to make this as brutally painful as possible.

"Take this!" she yelled, striking her whip at his legs.

* * *

Arashi sidestepped to the left and then darted straight towards Elia. He dashed behind her and his body was encased with a bluish aura.

"Stormy Salutations..." he said simply as he attacked with blindingly fast attacks, his speed multiplied 100 fold.

* * *

Elia fell to the ground clutching her body, her eyes bulging. She'd come very close to being killed. The stupid boy's attacks had just barely missed vitals. She hadn't had time to do much else. She looked down at her numerous cuts on her body in horror, then suddenly grinned forced herself to stand, albeit unsteadly, and managed to whisper.

"Scales of Blessings."

A white vapor seemed to come from her wounds and wrap around her body. She could feel her strength and magic power returning even greater than before. She'd make that bastard pay. She took an uncertain step forward when the boy suddenly fell over on his back.

"Excellent," Elia breathed, murder on her heart. She stepped forward, grasping the whip tightly in her hands.

* * *

Uri watched the fight between his new young friend and the bloodthirsty woman. He halted when he saw Arashi unleash his limit break, thinking that he had finished her off. When he saw him fall unconscious and the woman stand and heal herself, he made a mad dash to head her off before she had a chance to injure him.

With a mighty roar, he jumped out in front of her and landed between her and Arashi, his hind legs skidding to the side as he turned to face her. He lowered his head, the hair on his back raised, his ears pressed flat against his head and his lips pulled back showing his razor sharp teeth. He growled at her as he slowly crept forward trying to get her to back away. He shifted his weight, balancing himself to better react to an attack.

------

Amara stopped dead in her tracks as she heard Uri roar. A smile found its way to her face as she thought about the pain the woman was going to find herself in, then quickly regained her senses and glanced around trying to find the other intruder Uri had mentioned.

_Has to be close. _She thought tightening her grip on the hilt of her sword and quickly took inventory of the materia she had equipped before continuing on.

------

When disasters arise, the filth tends to come out of the cracks. Edge was no exeption. Scavengers scattered the streets stealing from the dead or injured and mugged anyone who looked like they had money.

_Vermin._

A gang had caught sight of the young woman who held Aeron's attention - she did look out of place and an easy target. Even though it was clear to him that she could take care of herself, and she may very well pose a future problem to his plans, there was an itch at the back of his mind that told him she could be useful.

While the gang surrounded her like a pack of hungry wolves, Aeron slipped his shades over his eyes and unsheathed his gunblade. They readied themselves to attack and he swooped in out of the shadows, appearing seemingly out of nowhere and sliced through the thick of them like a hot knife through butter. Five fell down dead and the others scattered like rats. He lowered his blade then turned to the redhead.

"You should be more careful."

* * *

Elia gave a sudden stop as Uri put himself between her and Arashi. She hissed in annoyance and took a step back, her injuries throbbing as she did so.

_"Stupid beast. I'm going to have to take him down fast while Scales of Blessings keeps my magic and attack power up, otherwise these injuries are going to make me too weak to stand. And I doubt Vrde is the type of give piggyback rides..."_

"Stand in my way, kitty, and you're going to find yourself in a world of pain," she said. She jumped into the air and flicked her whip at Uri's back.

* * *

Alistair finaly was able to close in on Amara.

"Amara," he said, coming to a halt next to her and panting slightly, "what exactly is going on?"

* * *

"Uri said there was someone else here." Amara told Alistair while still surveying the area. "Do you have any idea who they could be or what they want?"

------

Uri bounded to the side easily dodging the woman's whip then lept up extending his claws and slashed at her trying to swat her out of the air like a cat pouncing on a grasshopper.

* * *

Alistair shook his head slowly. None of it made sense to him really. Too much had happened in so little time that his hea really wasn't on straight at the moment.

"They're not after you? No...otherwise you wouldn't have asked. I suppose they could be after Arashi, but then...why wouldn't both of them have gone after him..."

He gripped his fands into fists, desperate to make heads or tails of this whole mess when he suddenly looked up to see a man with brown hair in a suit glaring down at him.

"They're...after me," he managed to whisper.

------------------

Elia saw the move coming and just managed to dodge, thought the general effect was the same. She landed on the ground less than gracefully, and her wounds gave her a nasty surge of pain. Oh well. She staggered upward and leered at the wolf-lion. The more pain she experienced, the more power she would receive until the Scales of Blessings wore off.

"Let's try that again!" she said, running at Uri. She flung her whip in a intricate pattern, aiming for his side.

* * *

Uri barely managed to fling himself out of the way of her whip before it snapped where his flank had been. He had noticed the strain on her face when she landed and an idea came to him. _She's still in pain. I just have to wear her down._

He spun around and latched his teeth down on the end of her whip before she had a chance to retract it. Locking his legs he jerked his head around in an attempt to throw her off balance and hopefully rip her weapon away from her.

------

Amara turned to Alistair as he voiced his thoughts and frowned. She could only imagine how he felt at that moment. When he looked up, his face changed and she followed where Alistair was looking and saw the other intruder.

_He has a gun..._ She thought bending her knees and pulling her sword from its scabbard.

* * *

Elia staggered forward, clutching onto her whip as Uri jerked at it continuously.

"Stupid beast! I'll fix you. Bio!" she called, casting the poison spell at the wolf-lion with her free hand.

* * *

Alistair felt his frustration boil, and he lifted his right hand toward the intruder.

"Fire!" he called, casting a fireball at the man.

* * *

Vrede dodged to the left and fired several shots rapidly from Lucille at the man in front of him. _He's the RETABLIR bastard...._

_--------------_

Samora was strangely at peace while the people raced around screaming, even as the tremors slowed to a crawl. _This isn't normal. the Planet never just has an earthquake like it's a giant rock. It's a living organism. Why is this happening?_

_

* * *

_

"Barrier!" Alistair called, casting a magic shield to block the bullets. He then ran at Vrede and reinforced his right fist.

"Take this!" he yelled, throwing a punch at Vrede's face.

_

* * *

_

Vrede caught Alistair's punch and smiled as he whirled him around.

* * *

Alistair reinforced his free left fist and brought it up in an uppercut.

* * *

Vrede rolled to the right and then aimed a kick at Alistair's face.

* * *

Alistair reinforced his arm and hand to catch the kick, then aimed his hand point-blank at Vrede.

"Blizzard!"

* * *

Vrede frowned. _Shit...._

_

* * *

_

"Alistair, wait!" Amara called out as he charged out to attack the strange man. She was about to follow him in when she heard Uri whimper in pain. Alistair seemed to be doing alright, but she hesitated._ Can't just leave him alone._

"Haste!" She called thrusting her hand out at Alistair_. At least I won't leave him without ANY help._ She took off to help Uri hoping that Alistair had enough leverage now to give him an edge. When she came to where Uri was fighting she gasped. He was stubbornly hanging on to the blond's weapon while poison was coursing through his body._ Bitch!_

"Thunder!" She yelled casting a lightning bolt at the blond before rushing forward. She sliced upward with her sword aiming for her abdomen.

_

* * *

_

Alistair felt his limbs rush with energy and he raced forward at Vrede, having taken Alistair's blizzard spell right to the chest, and let loose a series or rapid fire punches,

-------------------

Elia heard someone cast a thunder spell and managed to dive forward as it crashed to the ground where she stood only a moment before. She turned as the sword sliced at her and was forced to let go over her whip as she cartwheeled backward.

"You're going to pay for that, you little bitch," she growled. She turned her head to Uri and focused all her magic power to her eyes as she stared into the wolf-lion's. She wasn't going to be able to keep this up for much longer, but she would have a bargaining chip at least.

* * *

Uri dropped the whip and panted slightly as bio racked his body with pain and diminished his health. He steeled himself to attack again but froze as he gazed into her pink eyes. There was so much energy in them and it called to him. _So...pretty..._

Amara spun around to face the blond. _What is she...? _She quickly glanced at Uri and realized what the woman was trying to do.

"Uri, look away!" Not waiting for Uri to respond, she lunged forward and cross-slashed at her face, ducked and swept her foot underneath the blond to catch her ankles then sprung up, kicking as she rose from the ground. She pulled back into her fencing stance and rushed forward to attack again.

* * *

Elia staggered back from Amara's attack, glaring at the girl.

_"Can't...keep going..."_ she thought, her body beginning to ache horribly. She glanced at Uri though and found that her paralysis had worked. She saw Amara lunge in to attack again and cartwheeled to the side to avoid her, then dashes at Uri, snatching up the whip in front of him. She turned and smirked at Amara as she stood behind Uri, her whip poised to strike.

"Let's make a deal. You back off and let me go, and your wolf-lion here gets to live for now. What do you say?"

* * *

Amara's jaw dropped open at her words. She looked at poor Uri and then glared back at the woman.

"Leave now." She told her extending her blade so the tip was eye level with her. _Better not try anything. _She thought getting ready to cast magic if it came down to it.

* * *

Elia sneered at Amara. "As you wish," she said acidly. She turned and jumped up the small cliff from where they came and shouted back over to Vrede.

"Let's go, asshole. I don't plan on dying any time soon."

Without looking back for him, she turned and ran, disappearing out of sight.

* * *

Amara waited until she was out of sight before running to Uri's side. He was still poisoned and staring blankly into space. _First things first. _She thought digging through her slim pocket to find the remedy she always made sure she carried with her after that incident with the frogs. She pulled it out and gave it to him curing the bio. His eyes blinked and he started coming around, though he still seemed dazed.

"Oh boy." She said looking to where Arashi was spralled out on the ground. "Is he ok? What happened to him?"

"He passed out after...after..." He tried to say through the daze, then shook his head and sat down gathering his thoughts. "He's just spent." He finally managed to say.

"Umm...ok." She checked around to make sure there were no more threats. Seeing that there were none, she looked back at Uri. "I want to check on Alistair. Do you think you'll be ok here by yourself?" He just gave her a nod and reluctantly she rose and ran back to where she left the young nobleman. _I hope he's ok._

_

* * *

_

Alistair panted slightly, staring the spot where his attacker had been. It was all too much to think about at the moment. Everything that had happened was whirling through his mind with terrific speed. He sank to one knee, trying to calm himself and regain his right frame of mind. He needed to look out for himself and he couldn't do that without being able to think properly. He heard footsteps and looked up, figuring it was one of the others coming to see how he was doing. He gave slight smile when he saw Amara and rose slowly to his feet.

* * *

When Amara saw that Alistair wasn't hurt, she left out a sigh of relief and ran over to help him stand.

"I'm sorry I left." She said apologetically. "Are you ok?"

* * *

Alistair nodded and dusted himself off.

"I'm fine. How are the others doing?" he asked.

* * *

"That psycho blond chick did something to Uri. He's alright but now he's all loopy." She said with anger in her voice as she thought about it. "Arashi seems ok, but he's unconscious."

As she walked back to the others, she seethed about the attack and metally scolded herself for not keeping the woman from cursing her best friend, then looked at Alistair and frowned. She glanced at the remains of the house and sighed.

"I'm sorry about your house. What are you going to do now?"

* * *

Alistair looked back at the ruins and sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I don't know. It's not that I can't get a new one, but I don't think there's any point now that I'm on a wanted a FESTANCA wanted list."

He stopped when they reached Uri and Arashi, still flat on his back. No point in asking him how he was doing.

"Are you doing better, Uri?" he asked. A thought occured to him and he held up a hand and pointed it at Uri.

"Despell!"

* * *

Uri felt his head clear up and he stood up and shook himself making his coat fluff up.

"Thank you." He told him with a smile on his face, "Much better now. Do you know who they were?"

* * *

"You're welcome, of course," Alistair replied. "I don't know who they were, but I believe I know what they were: FESTANCA assassins. They've been undermining RETABLIR's efforts to cleanse the Lifestream. I assume they came after me because of my connections to said organization."

He sighed and looked off into the horizon, wondering what the next step would be. After a moment's thought, he turned back to the two and asked, "What do you plan on doing now?"

* * *

Uri and Amara exchanged glances before answering.

"We were headed to Edge." Uri told him.

"There is a place in old Midgar I was advised to visit..." Amara added feeling a little unsure. "Hopefully, it's still in one piece."

"Maybe we should wait on that for now." Uri said to her furrowing his eyebrows. "After that earthquake I think we need to figure out what's going on. Arashi seemed to have an idea." He looked at him and tilted his head to the side. "Guess we'll have to wait until he wakes up."

Amara looked at her friend and frowned. _The earthquake..._ She thought about the searing pain she had felt. _I heard voices crying...saw eyes...blood red eyes looking at me. _She felt a chill crawl up her spine and she had to surpress a shiver. Uri caught it and gave her a quizical look, but said nothing about it.

* * *

"I see," Alistair replied. He too thought it prudent to find out whatever knowledge Arashi might be able to give them. He stooped down and heaved the teen onto his shoulder before standing back up.

"We'd better get him to an inn to rest. I suppose we all could use a rest. We can discuss plans then."

* * *

Amara nodded and smiled again. "And I'll get some food from the market. He'll be really hungry when he wakes up and I still owe him dinner."

Uri's mouth watered at the mention of food and he padded along with his friends as they made their way into town to find an inn.

* * *

Alistair strolled along with Amara and Uri, feeling uncommonly content. Maybe it wasn't so bad that he was forced to go out into the world. Maybe he'd finally find his true purpose in life. Amara and Uri seemed nice enough. Maybe they'd let him tag along until they reached Midgard. He figured he'd go in that direction anyway to see if he could do anything at RETABLIR headquarters. Maybe when they sat down to eat he'd discuss it with them. Till then, he was content to quietly follow them through town.


	2. Chapter 2

Finding an inn wasn't difficult, what was difficult was finding an inn with any vacancies. The earthquake had wrecked quite a few homes and the villagers sought shelter at the inns. They did find a room open at an inn where the manager seemed more than happy for Amara to cook in the kitchen as long as she agreed to help with breakfast the following morning. She gladly accepted and went to work making dinner. Afterall, it didn't seem like Alistair was too used to the idea of sharing a room with a girl and it might be better for everyone if she spent as little time as possible in said room.

Uri made his way to their room feeling a little out of place in the inn's kitchen with the employees. He knew he made people feel a little uneasy sometimes and he was perfectly fine staying with Arashi and Alistair. He enjoyed their company and hoped the feeling was mutual, though it was hard to tell when the boy was asleep the majority of the time he had known him.

"Cozy." He said when he entered the room and sniffed about to make sure everything was in order. "I think I'll nap for a little while until dinner is ready. If you want to go, Arashi will be fine with me. I'm a light sleeper."

* * *

Alistair smiled at the wolf-lion and stood up.

"Thanks, I think I'll take a walk downstairs. Just let me know if he wakes up."

He left the room and followed the steps down into the main foyer. He could smell something delicious coming from the kitchen, but he didn't go that way. He didn't want to disturb Amara while she was busy. His footsteps led him to the windows and he pulled up a chair, gazing outside. The sun was peeping from behind the clouds as if nothing had happened. He thought wistfully of how he wish he could pretend nothing had happened, but it was never that easy.

_"Strange how things seem when your normal viewpoint no longer exists."_

_

* * *

_

"La la la la!" Amara sang while she bopped around the kitchen stirring this and flipping that. She ran to the counter and quickly chopped up her vegetables and added them to her concoction. She inhaled the vapors and smiled satisfied.

_I hope they'll like it._ It should be good. She seared Uri's steak before turning it and added a few more seasoning and spices. The food was almost done and it was looking rather delicious, she couldn't wait to eat. _I hope Arashi wakes up soon._

She took a step back and looked their dinner over.

"Um, do you happen to have any chocolate?" She asked one of the employees who had followed the sent of her cooking. "I think I'll whip up some dessert too if it's ok."

* * *

Alistair heard singing from the kitchen and broke his gaze away from the window. He smiled to himself.

"She really seems to take joy in the simple things of life."

He decided to stop focus on things beyond his control and walked over to the stairs. Maybe he would take a nap too if Amara wasn't finished soon.

* * *

Uri was happily dreaming away when he heard the distinct sound of Alistair's shoes coming up the stairs. He stirred from his dream and opened his eyes as their bedroom door opened. He caught a whiff of the food Amara was preparing followed by the sound of her singing. He smiled inwardly unable to resist swishing his tail to the beat of her song.

"I wasn't expecting you for some time." He said to Alistair. "Is everything alright?"

* * *

Alistair snapped his head up and saw Uri awake and looking at him.

"Yes, I'm fine. I figured I'd try to rest for a while until Amara finishes with her food. It beats the alternative," he said, thinking of gazing out the window on depressing thoughts. He sat down next to Uri and looked at the wolf-lion.

"So...how did you and Amara meet?"

* * *

Uri licked his paw thinking back to the day they had met. _She probably won't like me saying..._ He considered for a moment but decided there was no harm in sharing.

"It was ten years ago." He began bringing the memories into focus. "I was out hunting in the desert and I heard something unusual walking through the canyon and then heard crying. She was wandering through the desert all alone. She didn't really know where she was or how she got there. She didn't remember anything."

He gazed off into space remembering how little she had been and afraid. She hadn't been afraid of him though. The moment she laid eyes on him she ran over and hugged him like she had known him for years, it was strange because he felt the same way. "I took her home and we've been friends ever since."

* * *

Alistair listened attentively, then smiled when Uri finished.

"How strange, meeting like that. It must be nice though, having a ties of friendship as strong as yours. I've made many acquaintances through the years, mostly as a result of my family's connections, but I've never experienced a friendship like that. It's truly fascinating."

-----------

Liam walked down the streets of edge, kicking at the stones as he went. He suddenly stopped and chided himself.

"Adults don't walk around kicking stones, and you shouldn't either."

He heard a noise from the alley off the street and turned in time to see a woman with red-brown hair get jumped by a group of thugs. In a flash a man had leaped from somewhere above and took them all out in one strike. Liam ducked behind some garbage cans and peered through the cracks to see what was happening.

"You should be more careful," he heard the man say. Liam glared at him from his spot. What could that thug's interest in her be? He felt his Sylph Blades hidden beneath his blazer and watched tensely as things unfolded.

* * *

"Strange yes, but I'd do anything for her." Uri said to Alistair then thought to himself, _I wonder...was it destiny that all of us met? _Suddenly, He heard Amara running up the stairs. She hesitated a moment at the door, knocked then opened it before peaking inside.

"Everyone decent?" She asked sheepishly then, seeing that they were, stepped inside and grinned. "Good. Dinner is ready. I hope you're hungry. I also have a surprise for dessert."

* * *

"Of course," Alistair replied, standing up. He went down the stairs and looked to see all the food that Amara had prepared for them. He felt his stomach growl and blushed slightly, hoping that no one noticed.

"You really have exceeded my expectations, Amara," he said, smiling over at her. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble."

* * *

Uri chuckled to himself when he heard Alistair's stomach growl and watched out of the corner of his eye as he reddened slightly. Amara didn't seem to notice, however. She smiled brightly at him and shook her head.

"No trouble at all, I love to cook."

Uri eyed her suspicously. She did love to cook, but she was only this extreme when she was worried about something. He made a mental note to talk to her later, but for now, he made himself content to sit and eat the streak she had so diligently prepared for him. It was tender, juicy and perfectly seasoned and his stomach thanked him for feeding it.

"Mmm. So good. Thank you." He pulled away long enough to tell her before licking his chops and returning to his meal.

* * *

"Good to hear," he replied cheerfully before beginning to eat. Everything was cooked and seasoned to perfection, and Alistair had to admit that his hired hands hadn't cooked this well nearly often enough.

_"Too bad for Arashi that he's asleep,"_ he thought. After chewing a particularly delicious mouthful, he looked up at Amara.

"Are you planning on leaving in the morning then, provided Arashi tells us what we want to know?" he asked.

---------------

Elia growled as she underwent a particularly uncomfortable healing session back at FESTANCA headquarters. As if having to have Vrede help her back wasn't bad enough, here she was half naked while the best healers the organization had were taking care of her.

"I'd better not see one damn scar or someone's head will roll!" she snapped, needing to feel in control. The healers kept their heads bowed fearfully, and Elia felt a smirk of pleasure cross her face.

_"That's more like it,"_ she thought. She wondered what Vrede was telling the higher ups right now. It probably wasn't pretty, but unlike him she couldn't care less about what FESTANCA thought of her. She just needed to keep up her part in INQUINA and kill some people on the side and life would be looking good.

"Are you people enjoying this? Hurry the hell up!"

* * *

"Well, I promised I'd help the staff make breakfast, but after that probably."

Amara took a bite of her food and savored the flavors as she chewed. She really enjoyed her new friends' company and it made her a little sad to think about parting ways so soon.

After they finished with their dinners, she set a plate, heavily loaded with food, aside for Arashi when he woke up and brought out the dessert, which was a chocolate box filled with ripe raspberries and sprinkled with powdered sugar and a sprig of mint on the side. She set it down on the table hoping that Alistair liked chocolate as much as she did.

* * *

"I see," he said. That didn't give him a lot of time to try to convince the two to let him tag along. His thoughts were interrupted by the sight of a chocolate and raspberry masterpiece, his very favorite combination of dessert foods. It was exceptionally difficult to hide his intense craving for the sweet in front of him.

"It looks quite delicious," he said aloud, taking his fork and placing a small piece in his mouth. Oh, the symphony of flavors...

* * *

It was a relief that he seemed to like the dessert and Amara joined him before going off to the kitchen to tidy things up and head to bed. Once she was gone, Uri gave Alistair a long look suddenly feeling very protective.

"So, Alistair...exactly how old are you?"

* * *

Alistair was basking in the after-meal glow when Uri's question threw him for a loop, almost causing him to choke from the sudden surprise. He looked down curiously at the wolf-lion, who seemed to be exhibiting protective instincts.

"I just turned twenty two. Is...there a particular reason for the sudden interest?" he asked, suddenly wondering whether Amara and Uri would be as accepting of him as he had originally thought.

* * *

Uri listened as Amara sang while she started washing the dishes then narrowed his eyes at Alistair.

"Just be careful." He told him flatly, "I like you Alistair. You seem like a good guy, but I meant what I told you before. I'll do anything for Amara." Without waiting for Alistair to respond, he jumped down from his seat and made his way upstairs to their room. "Good night."

* * *

Alistair watched Uri disappear and felt a flare of anger surge up inside him. He understood the wolf-lion's protective instincts but he would not take an insult to his honor so lightly. At the moment, however, he wasn't sure what to do. If he went upstairs he'd have to be alone with Uri and he wasn't sure if he would be able to remain civil. If he remained here, though, Amara would be sure to see that something was wrong. Despite his desperate feeling that needed to do something, he remained rooted to the spot. Somehow, things weren't going as smoothly planned.

* * *

Amara scrubbed away at the pan and thought about the earthquake again and how she had passed out. She felt the planet screaming and it scared her. She wasn't an ancient, she knew that. Sometimes she could hear the voices from the planet, but she couldn't speak with it like the Cetra had been able to do.

_So what does that make me?_ She thought with a sigh. She rinsed the pan and moved on to the next dirty dish. She had been singing, but came to the end of her song and suddenly felt very tired. _Arashi has the right idea. Sleep sounds good about now._

_

* * *

_

Alistair heard singing coming from the kitchen again, but this time he didn't smile. Things were going to be messy tonight, and it was starting to seem likely that he was going to have to form his own plans for the next day.

_"I'm not going to sleep up there tonight,"_ he though, making up his mind. _"I'll tell Amara that I'm going to stay down here to keep watch for tonight. That's for the best."_

He stood up and walked from the table over to the sofas in the foyer. He layed down on it and crossed his arms.

_"I'm setting out on my own tomorrow, whether or not Arashi wakes. That's that."_

_

* * *

_

Amara ducked out of the kitchen to grab the plates she had left on the table and noticed Alistair laying on the sofa. What the...? She thought frowning. When she saw that Uri wasn't there she ran upstairs to their room. He was curled up at the foot of the bed Arashi was laying on and lightly snoring.

"Oh please, I know you heard me." She saw him flinch and he slowly opened an eye to look at her. "Why is Alistair sleeping on the sofa downstairs?"

"...I'm not sure..." He said hesitantly. Amara's eyes widened at him and she arched an eyebrow.

"What happened? Did...did you say something to him?" When he didn't answer, she put her hands on her hips and glowered at him. "You did! What did you say? Never mind, I don't want to know. Whatever it was, you need to apologise."

"I have nothing to apologise for." He told her simply though he was starting to feel guilty for what he had implied to him.

"What? He's been nothing but nice since the moment he met us and now HE'S sleeping on a coach." She said fuming, her earlier fatigue gone, "Fine! I still have work to do. When Arashi wakes up let him know I saved food for him." She started to leave, then stopped and grabbed one of the extra blankets before throwing a glare at Uri and exiting the room. He cringed as she closed the door rather forcefully and silently cursed under his breath knowing he'd inevitably have to apologise.

Amara quietly ran downstairs again and tip-toed over to where Alistair was laying and unfolded the blanket. She wanted to apologise herself, but knew better than to speak for Uri. He didn't think so, but he could be just as stubborn as she was sometimes. She gingerly laid the blanket over the top of him then turned and went back into the kitchen to finish where she had left off.

* * *

Alistair cracked an eye open and saw the blanket that Amara had brought for him. He frowned slightly.

_"I hope I didn't worry her,"_ he thought. In any case, she had let him sleep on the couch without any disagreement so he had that much to feel easy about. He gently tugged the blanket up and shut his eyes.

_"Might as well sleep. Nothing else to do till Arashi wakes or morning arrives."_

_

* * *

_

Arashi yawned as he woke up, the sun shining brightly in his face. _Morning already?_

_

* * *

_

Uri stirred from his sleep and looked at Arashi._ Amara never came up last night._ He thought_. Hope she's not still mad._

"Good morning." He said to Arashi, "Amara saved some dinner for you last night. I'd guess she also made some breakfast for us too. She promised the manager she'd help in the kitchen this morning."

_

* * *

_

"Oooh, goodie." Arashi said as he prepared to eat. "How'd you meet Amara anyway?" he asked.

* * *

Uri related the story of how he found Amara as a child alone in the desert. After a moment of silence he yawned then smacked his chops still feeling tired, his sleep the night before had been restless at best.

"So, what brought you to this part of the world?" He asked.

* * *

"My parent's deaths....my mother from a freak earthquake and my father from what I believe is Geostigma....I'm searching for an answer to all these freak accidents....if they are even accidents." Arashi said, his tone dark and serious as he ate.

* * *

"I'm sorry to hear that." Uri told him. "You think something is causing the earthquakes?"

* * *

"Yes. As i said before that last tremor. I believe that the Planet has Geostigma. When a being is fighting the common cold, it often shivers. Geostigma is an alien infection, so its much more severe. That's why the Planet's been so unstable lately....at least that's why I think." Arashi replied.

* * *

Alistair rubbed his eyes with his glove, then sat up and looked around.

_"Morning, huh?"_

He swung his legs off the sofa and stood up, stretching slightly.

_"Wonder where the others are..."_

_

* * *

_

Amara had woken up about an hour before sunrise with a kink in her neck. The kitchen staff had found her sitting on a stool next to the sink draped over the giant kettle she had been scrubbing before she fell asleep. At first, she felt exhausted and didn't know how she'd be able to help with breakfast, but then one of the cooks gave her a hyper and she instantly felt better and was cooking up a storm in no time.

The guests filed down to the dining area somehow avoiding waking up Alistair on the sofa and Amara busied herself serving them. She smiled and made small talk and actually managed to get quite a few tips. When most of the guests had their breakfast, Amara finished up in the kitchen and set some food aside for her friends.

"Good morning!" She said to Alistair when she saw that he was awake. "I'm going to get the others. I set some food aside in the kitchen for us. We can talk there."

"Hello?" She knocked on the door then took a step inside. "Good, you're both awake. Come on down to the kitchen, we can talk there and you can eat if you're hungry." She narrowed her eyes at Uri before she left and he read her expression loud and clear. He would have to apologise to Alistair.

* * *

Alistair barely had time to do more than nod in response to Amara before she was gone.

_"The others...well this is going to be fun,"_ he thought sourly. He got up, straightened his sweater vest, then walked over to the kitchen and sat down in the nearest chair. He rested his elbows on the table and propped his head on his hands, waiting for the others to arrive.

* * *

Amara entered into the kitchen and sat next to Alistair and smiled. She wasn't sure what plans they were going to make, but she hoped that whatever it was they would all stay together.

"So..." She started feeling a little uncomfortable with the silence. "Do you want anything to eat?"

* * *

Alistair glanced at her, then looked away, wondering when Uri was going to show up and growl at him for being in the same room alone with her.

"If it's not too much trouble," he mumbled after a moment.

* * *

She nodded and got his food ready for him as Uri walked in and sat down at the table. Amara looked at him and rose an eyebrow and he let out a labored sigh in return. She quickly served their breakfasts then turned to leave.

"I'm going to tidy up our room really quick." She informed them before stepping out.

Uri frowned then rolled his eyes knowing she would not let it go. _Frustrating. Better just say it before Arashi comes in. This is awkward enough!_

"Alistair, I'm...." He began feeling his body tense up. "...I'm not sorry for what I said last night. BUT I am sorry for how I said it. I didn't mean to imply that you would do anything....I just don't want her getting hurt."

* * *

Alistair crossed his arms and sighed.

"I cannot pretend that my pride as a gentleman has not been wounded. However, I understand your protective instincts and I recognize that you meant no insult by it."

Alistair looked over at the wolf-lion, not sure if Uri had gotten his drift.

"I forgive you," he said after another moment, forced to crack a smile.

* * *

Uri sensed his forgiveness was as forced as his own apology, but he inclined his head to accept anyway. _We're pathetic creatures. _He thought to himself with a smirk.

Amara chose that moment to pop back into the kitchen and beamed a smile at the two of them before she poured herself some tea then joined them at the table.

"Arashi should be down in a few minutes." She took a sip of her tea and sighed as it warmed her and realized that this was the first time that morning she had a moment to relax. "Ah! That's nice."

* * *

Alistair felt the tension lift comfortably enough, and reached out and took his cup of tea and sipped it slowly.

"It's about time he woke up," he said after he put the cup down from a long drink. He gave a small chuckle.

"I was beginning to think he spent more time asleep than awake. In any case we can finally get some answers and be on our..." he said, hesitating half a moment, then finished, "ways."

* * *

Uri chuckled at Alistair's comment about Arashi, but Amara caught his subtle emphasis on _"ways"_ and had to lift the tea cup to her mouth to hide a frown.

_Is this it then?_ She thought feeling a little sad. _I guess, if we're all meant to be together we'll meet again...eventually..._

She remembered Nanaki's stories of AVALANCHE, how they had all met and traveled together. They were completely different, but each one of them brought something special to the group and together they were able to defeat the one-winged angel - _twice!_ - and save the world. Was it their turn now? Well, If that were true, then maybe they weren't suppose to part ways. After considering it, Amara made her mind up.

"Not 'ways'." She said aloud causing Uri to turn from his food and give her a surprised look. "Way. We'll be on _our_ way." She took a sip from her tea before adding. "We'll let Arashi know too as soon as he gets here."

She leaned back in her chair, took another sip from her tea and smiled inwardly knowing that they had just started their journey.

* * *

Alistair looked over at Uri, then lifted his tea cup to hide his face as well, this time to conceal a smile.

_"Well, that was certainly unexpected. I had thought she might try to do something to keep us all together, but to actually take control and force it on everyone, well.....Hmm, there's always variables," _he thought. _"She's got more fire and passion then I gave her credit for."_

He placed his tea cup down and gave a charming, defeated smile to Amara, if nothing more than to stick it to Uri.

* * *

Uri stared at Amara only some what shocked at her outburst. There was no talking her out of it, and he figured he had the same thinking that she did. Some how they'd all meet again. Though, he had hoped it'd be further off in the future than the imediate present. Alistair's reaction didn't help matters any and he grumbled to himself as he took a sip of his own tea.

"Sounds great." He said after a few moments forcing a smile her way. _Like a run in with a tonberry..._

_

* * *

_

Elia strolled down the hallway, finally done with her healing sessions. She looked at her smooth, flawless skin and smiled contentedly. Then she thought of the ones who had caused her this damage and her smile soured.

_"Those little bastards...I'm gonna make them pay. But first things first. I wonder if Aeon has reported back...surely he must have felt the tremors from the activity in the Lifestream."_

She looked around the hallway, then ducked out a side-door.

_"I'd better find him before Vrede finds out I'm gone. We're going to have things to talk about."_

_

* * *

_

Samora sighed as she walked down the crowded streets, hoping her tantos and katana didn't catch any unwanted attention.

---------------

Vrede sighed as he saw Elia walking out of the side door. _Now where the hell are you going?_

---------------

Arashi stared out of the window and sighed. The last earthquake had truly devestated the surroundings. Huge spikes had protruded from the ground, almost like large swords emerging from the Planet's core.

* * *

Elia reached the outside of the compound and reached in her to pocket to pull out a small transmitter. She pressed the only button, a small red one, with her thumb to send a signal to Aeon. Hopefully he would get it and meet her at INQUINA's hideout soon.

--------------

Alistair sat with the others around the table, tapping his fingers impatiently.

_"Where the devil is Arashi?"_ he wondered with growing annoyance.

* * *

Aeron felt a buzz in his pocket. He didn't have to check what it was, he knew that Elia was signaling him. The day before, he had taken the girl, Samora, to the makeshift infirmary the city had set up after the earthquake and left her there.

"You should be safe here." He told her. The words sounded strange as he spoke them, as if they were said by someone else.

Now, he was standing in his quarters looking out at the mangled streets below thinking about his next step. He would have to report not only to FESTANCA, but INQUINA as well. Whatever orders he would receive as a result, he was sure would make him find himself in the company of the strange red-headed woman again.

* * *

Liam ran down the streets, looking for the red-haired girl.

_"That man...he had a totally black eye, just like the man that killed my mother."_

Liam had watched as the mysterious man had taken Samora to the infirmary. For whatever reason, the assassin seemed to have taken an interest to her. If Liam had any hope of finding the killer again he needed to be by that girl. It was the best chance he had. He looked at the star-shaped necklace, the one he had swiped off the girl while she was sleeping at the infirmary, and prayed this would work.

"There she is!" he whispered excitedly as he saw her strolling just a few yards ahead of him. He ran up and tugged on her sleeve, smiling up as brightly as he could at her.

"Excuse me, but I think you dropped this," he said, holding the charm up to her.

--------------

Elia looked around cautiously to make sure she wasn't being watched, then slipped into the hideout for INQUINA. She made her way down the hallway, hoping that Aeon had gotten her message and was on his way.

* * *

Aeron stood quietly in the shadows of the INQUINA building and watched as Elia made her entrance. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair before stepping out into the light.

"You called?"

-------

Amara went upstairs to their room to take a shower after they had finished talking in the kitchen. Uri had related to them Arashi's theory about the planet being infected with geostigma so that when he finally joined them, all they needed to do was discuss what their next move was. Since RETABLIR's headquarters were in Edge and Amara and Uri had planned on going there anyway, they agreed that would be the obvious destination.

Uri settled down in front of the bathroom door while she took her shower and thought about their journey. _Costa del Sol is almost two days away on foot. _He frowned._ We'll have to stay the night at North Corel. _

He heaved a sigh and set his head down on his paws before closing his eyes for a quick nap.

* * *

Elia almost gave a jump, then pouted when she saw it was Aeron.

"You didn't need to startle me like that," she protested. She immediately grinned though and leaned on his shoulder.

"So what have you been up to, chief? Haven't seen you around much lately. But hey, this isn't time to shoot the breeze. I guess you felt what happened in the Life Stream, huh? The bosses are probably going to be giving us new orders for this development."

----------------

Alistair finished packing the last of the things he wanted in a backpack and slipped in on his back. He figured the rest of the others would still be getting ready to leave so he decided he's wait by the door. He strolled out into the hallway and looked over to see Uri guarding the bathroom door. He gave him a quick nod, then descended the stairs and settled down on the sofa.

_"Hopefully they won't keep me waiting too long,"_ he thought as he crossed his legs and pulled a book of spells from his pack to read while he waited.

* * *

"Indeed." He shrugged away from her and took a step away, but then inclined his head for her to follow him. "I'm sure they're waiting for our reports now." As he walked down the hallway to the briefing room, he threw a glance over his shoulder at Elia and arched an eyebrow at her. "Have you been in a fight recently?"

-----

After she finished brushing the tangles out of her hair, Amara stepped out of the bathroom, gave Uri a quick pat on the head and started gathering their things together. She decided to keep her sword strapped to her, not wanting to be caught without it again and slipped a few "just in case" items in her pockets for any random battles they might stumble into along the way.

"Where are the others?" She asked while she zipped up her pack and slung it over her shoulder.

"Downstairs." Uri informed her then added as she turned to leave. "Amara...what happened, back in the manor? We haven't been able to talk about it."

"I...don't know." She said, freezing in place at the door when he asked. "I don't really want to talk about it right now. When I've had some more time to think about it though, I promise."

She smiled weakly at him before exiting their room and making her way downstairs. Uri hung his head feeling frustrated that she was worried. After a brief sigh to get his thoughts together, he followed her down to the lobby.

* * *

She shifted her feet uncomfortably, and looked away from him.

"How did you know?" she asked, holding her one arm self-consciously.

----------------

Alistair turned another page of his book while glancing irritably at Arashi, who had drained the last reserves of patience he had for the teen. He glanced back down at his book.

_"...this type of spell, commonly used by the-"_ he read again when he heard a pair of shoes and a soft padding of paws on the stairs. He moved his book down just enough so that his eyes peered over the top.

"Are you two ready then?" he asked.

* * *

"You look pale." He told her turning his attention forward again. They came to the door to the briefing room and he took a moment to mentally review his report before entering the room to face his superiors.

------

"All ready!" Amara said excitedly. She skipped over to the entance and cast a look back at her friends. "Well, you guys coming?"

* * *

She looked pale? That was it? Elia wasn't sure if he was just trying not to offend her. In any case she felt grateful that he hadn't mentioned anything about her failure. Unlike with FESTANCA's higher-ups, she didn't want to appear bad in front of him. He maintained a standard of excellence in his missions that she intended to live up to. Now wasn't the time to dwell on that. She made sure to create her report while the superiors turned their attention to Aeon.

--------------

Alistair smiled and closed his book before slipping it into his backpack and throwing it around his shoulders. He walked up the entrance and held out a hand, incling his head slightly.

"After you."

* * *

Uri let out a low growl as he watched Alistair. It wasn't so much his manner that bothered him, in truth he had been a perfect gentleman, but ever since dinner the night before, he saw something between the two that heralded nothing but disaster. Unfortunately, he had called Alistair's attention to it by his warning, otherwise he might have stayed ignorant to the whole thing. As he thought about it, Uri cursed himself for saying anything in the first place. Amara was yet blissfully unaware and he hoped she'd stay that way, however, judging by the half smile and sidelong look she gave Alistair before exiting the inn, that would not be the case.

_He breaks her heart I'll tear him to shreds._ He promised himself before rushing to Amara's side and casting a quick glare at Alistair before he stepped through the door.

"What's wrong?" Amara whispered to Uri as they walked to the edge of town, "You're acting weird."

"I...umm." He stuttered trying to think of an excuse, "I'm just...tired." _Lame._ "I didn't sleep very well last night."

"Me either..." She said rubbing her neck then gave Uri a reassuring smile, "Maybe they'll let us stop for a nap later. I don't think Arashi would mind."

"Yeah." He agreed feeling guilty for lying, "Sounds good."

She ruffled his mane and turned her attention back to the road. Uri cast his gaze to the ground then looked back at Alistair from the corner of his eye. _This is going to be a _long_ walk._

_------_

_"_You have your orders." The voices were deep and reverberated through the dimly lit chamber. Aeron bowed his head to the triune before taking his leave. He stepped out and gave Elia a nod indicating that it was her turn. He stepped to the side, allowing her to enter the room and waited patiently for her to finish.

He wanted to know about the fight that she had been in. She was a capable warrior, her opponents would have to be strong to beat her. She would also have to take his written report back to FESTANCA headquarters, because he had been ordered to return to Edge. He had guessed right that the red-headed girl would be involved in his next assignment. The triune was interested to find out more about her as well. This would be the first mission he would have to update them almost continually.

They were worried.

* * *

_"What was that look for?"_ Alistair wondered as he watched Uri. He had only been trying to be polite. Of course the wolf-lion would read into it. Not that he hadn't appreciated her acknowledging him, of course. He looked dolefully at Arashi, then at the two walking in front.

_"I suppose Uri would take my leg off at the knee if I tried to join them up there. I'll just have to stay back here with Arashi...who at the moment is about as entertaining as a paraplegic chocobo."_

In the meantime he decided to scroll through his memories of the last few days. He remembered how satisfying it had been to hear the crunch of that assassin's bones as he landed punch after punch. The man didn't stand a chance, especially after...

He almost stopped in the middle of the road when he realized that he hadn't case a Haste spell on himself. _"So it must have been Amara. But...Uri's description never mentioned her receiving any magical training. Perhaps I should offer to teach her. I have an obligation to make sure my fellow party members are prepared for fighting, after all. Of course Uri would think it was a - what do they call it? - a pick-up line. I'll have to wait for her to use magic and then nonchalantly suggest it. Yes, that would be the best idea."_

He smiled as he made up his mind, then continued to stroll after the girl and wolf-lion.

-------------------

Elia related the events of the fight exactly as they had been, much as it pained her to do so. She knew it was no good trying to lie to them. She checked herself before she could look over at Aeron to gauge his reaction. They wouldn't like her devoting any attention to someone else while in their presence.

"Very well," the triune replied, and she gripped her hands tightly, waiting for their verdict.

"Continue your reconnaissance at FESTANCA. This other group must be watched as well. Continue to monitor their activities. Do not engage them if the circumstances are anything less than ideal. We must make sure that all threats are kept under close watch. We are too close to succeeding to fail now. You have your orders. Begone."

Elia nodded, then slowly walked into the hallway when Aeron was.

"Back to Edge, huh?" she asked.

* * *

"Yes, until further notice." Aeron confirmed to Elia, then leaned down and lowered his voice. "Now tell me what you didn't tell them. What is your impression of these people?"

------

Amara breathed heavily after the fight with the bomb. They had stopped to rest and while Uri went out hunting and she started gathering wood to get a fire started so she could make some stew when she was ambushed. The blasted thing had rammed her into a tree and she spent the next few minutes casting blizzard and trying to cut it to pieces before it detonated. It was close, but it managed to explode right as she was coming in for the kill, severly burning her exposed skin in the process.

_Why the hell didn't I equip cure? _She scolded herself as she hobbled back to their camp. She made her way to where she had left her pack, trying to be as discrete as possible so they wouldn't notice she had been hurt. The last thing she wanted was to never be allowed to go off by herself again. Thankfully, Uri was still out and she didn't seem to draw any attention from the others.

"Ouch." She said through gritted teeth as the fabric from her pack scraped against some burned skin while she was fishing around for her cure materia. _I'm going to have to organize this better. There you are you little bugger! _She quickly traded out her fire materia with the cure and healed herself. Her body instantly felt relief as the skin knit itself together and her burns began to fade and disappear. When she turned, she saw Alistair and smiled weakly at him.

"Um...hi." She said feeling sheepish, "Just had a run in with a bomb, no big deal. Could...could you maybe not mention it to Uri? I don't want him to worry."

* * *

Elia folded her arms and looked very serious.

"I don't know how to explain it, but it seems like they have this aura of destiny, like they know they're going to do something important. And even though I'm almost sure they had just met each other, the way they fought and worked together in battle wasn't normal. People unfamiliar with each other's attack style are usually a liability. But they just melted into battle with each other like they had done it for years. There's something very strange about them."

---------------

Alistair looked over at the napping Arashi, then back at Amara with a smile.

"Our little secret. However, I really don't think it prudent for you to go off by yourself," he said and, seeing that she was going to protest, added quickly, "without more magic training. Your spells are good, especially for someone without any formal practice, but I can be sure that we'll face worse than bombs. And if your magic isn't up to snuff, well...I'm sure you get the idea."

* * *

Aeron nodded, a frown creasing his features. _As I thought._

"I have a feeling we'll be seeing each other again very soon." He told her before turning to leave. "When we meet, pretend you don't know me. Better pass that along to Vrede. I don't want him giving me away. Take care of yourself."

As he walked out of the building, he thought back to his childhood when geostigma had infected his eye and the silver-haired men took him and the other children to the memorial in Edge. Those who came to fight had that same aura about them.

_So,_ He thought, _the planet has chosen its heroes once again._

---------

If she hadn't known he has trying to be helpful, she might have taken the suggestion as more of an insult. She was actually quit good with magic, and she wanted to tell him so, but decided it wouldn't do any good to argue about it.

_Well, I could always be better. _She told herself before reluctantly deciding to accept his almost offer to instruct her. _Wonder why he didn't just ASK if I wanted him__ to train me. Weird. Must be some noble thing._

"So," She said as a playful smile started spreading across her face, "what do you suggest then?"

* * *

Elia pondered Aeron's words as she returned to FESTANCA headquarters.

"I wonder what he has planned for that girl..."

In any case, she needed to hurry back. She needed to make sure Vrede was informed...at least as much as he needed to be.

---------------

Alistair smirked as he replied, "Judging by your tone, I'd say you already know. However, let me make the offer official by asking. Amara, would you like me to train you in magic?"

No doubt Uri would have a fit, but Alistair needed a better way to pass the time then reading. Who knows? This could turn out fun.

* * *

Amara's smile broadened and she wrinkled her nose at him.

"I'd be delighted." She said then twisted her hair into a bun and put her comb in place. "Where do we start?"

------

Uri lay flat to the ground as he stalked his prey. It wasn't very often he was able to go out by himself and he was enjoying the time away from everyone. It wasn't that he didn't like hunting with Amara, it was always fun and they made a great team, but he was really able to let loose when he was alone.

As soon as the animal was broadside and the wind had shifted, he made his move. He slowly crept through the long grass then suddenly sprang up and sprinted after the startled animal. It had no chance of outrunning him and in three bounds he was on top of it tearing into it's neck. It ran several yards with Uri on it's back, but finally buckled from the strain and crashed to the ground. In one fluid motion, Uri planted his feet into the ground and broke its neck. It went limp in his mouth and he dropped it's neck.

After taking a moment to bow his head in respect to the fallen animal, he helped himself to the meat. He would still have to get something for the others, but he needed more than they did to sustain himself, especially when they were on foot and surrounded by monsters. After making short work of the animal, he licked his chops and cleaned himself as best he could before he set out again.

_Ah, this is the life._

_

* * *

_

Alistair stood and brushed his pants off, then placed a finger thoughtfully to his chin.

"I think the with the basics," he replied. "Fire, Blizzard, and Thunder seem like as good a place as any. Let's not practice around the camp though."

He moved out of the clearing and found an open spot over by a small waterfall. He motioned over to her and surveyed the area.

"Let's start then," he said, turning to face her.

-------------

Liam smiled to himself as he took a sip of his coffee. Samora had been thankful enough to allow him to accompany her to the cafe that she was stopping to eat at.

"Miss Samora," he asked, looking thoughtfully at the black liquid, "how do you drink your coffee? I drink mine black. Adding things like sugar seems childish to me."

He grinned up at her, then decided it was time to move further.

"Oh yeah, why were you in the infirmary? I saw some man taking you there," he said as nonchalantly as possible, trying to gauge her reaction.

* * *

Aeron went back to the infirmary where he had left the girl. He discovered her name was Samora and that she already left. No one seemed to notice when or in what direction.

_She shouldn't be too difficult to find._ He thought deciding to search the parameter for the redhead. A newcomer would probably not have wandered too far, especially after the earthquake. He guessed she was probably getting something to eat and made his way to what was left of the market square.

* * *

Elia walked out of her room after preparing for her mission.

_"Tracking those rats...shouldn't be too hard. But to be so close to those gorgeous guys and not get to have some fun..."_

She sighed and strolled out the door, heading for the exit.

* * *

_The basics it is then. _Thought Amara as she took her place in the clearing with Alistair.

She had to keep from giggling when they started the lesson. It made her remember back when she was a little girl getting lessons from the elders in Cosmo Canyon. She had been sufficient enough, but Alistair was right. If she wanted to get an edge over whatever she came up against, she would have to improve her technique.

"How was that?" Amara asked her new magic instructor after casting fire.

* * *

Alistair tapped his chin thoughfully again.

"It's good, but it could be better. When I was taught how to cast fire my father told me to imagine something that sturs passion or a something that warms your heart. Feel the heat it brings to your heart, then channel it down your arm and," he finished by shooting a powerful fire spell into the waterfall.

"Like that," he said, casting his eyes from the waterfall to his pupil. "Now try again, this time doing what I taught you."

* * *

Amara went through her memories trying to pick out something that fit what he had described. Her thoughts settled on a night nine years before. Her and Uri were sitting together around the cosmo candle and she had just found out how long he would outlive her and became afraid that he would forget her.

_"I'll never forget you." _He promised her. _"You'll always be my best friend for as long as I live."_

As the memory played out, she felt the fire burn in her heart and she drew on that until she was no longer able to contain it then threw it away from her towards the waterfall as Alistair had done. She turned to him and smiled.

"Better?"

* * *

Alistair beamed at her broadly.

"That was excellent. Now Blizzard is a little harder. The power of Fire spells comes from the heart. Blizzard comes from the mind. Imagine your mind at its sharpest. Focus that cold, calculating precision and direct it to your hand."

He frowned and narrowed his eyes before calling, "Blizzard!" He shot a blizzard spell at the waterfall, freezing the length of it until the water behind it finally caused it to crumble and shatter.

* * *

"Huh." She said as she tried to focus her thoughts. It was a little difficult to pull together at first, but she forced herself into a combative state where she was at her most calculating. Her emotions melted away and she felt the cold sensation fill her mind.

"Blizzard!" She released the ice at the waterfall and froze it completely. After taking a moment to study her handy-work, she beamed up at her teacher. "You're good at this. Have you ever taught anyone before?"

* * *

Alistair nodded approvingly at her spell work, then turned his head to answer her.

"No, I haven't. I'll take that as a good sign, however," he said, grinning.

"Now," he said, switching back into teacher-mode, "we'll try the Thunder spell. This one's a bit tricky. Now you need to think of something that excites you, that sparks strong interest or desire. This feeling usually is difficult to pinpoint as it tends to circulate through your nerves, but you need to try to channel it through into your end and release it."

He aimed his hand at the top of the waterfall and said, "Thunder!" striking a tree clean in half that rested up there. He turned and inclined his head toward her.

"Your turn," he said with a soft smile.

* * *

Surprisingly enough, this was the easiest since she could pretty much find excitement in anything, a quirk she had not fully appreciated until this very moment. She couldn't really settle on just one thing, so she combined a bunch of memories and feelings and sensations into one big electrifying explosion and just about blew the rock face the water was pouring down from apart.

"WHOA!" She exclaimed completely taken aback by the power of that blast. She blushed feeling a bit embarrassed. "Whoops. Guess I need to reign it in a little."

* * *

Alistair laughed and nodded to her.

"The power behind that was impressive. But you are right. Half the skill required for magic is knowing how to control it properly. You don't want to accidentally strike a teammate in battle because your spell was too powerful. However," he said gently, "you did very well. I'm impressed by how quickly you grasp the concepts."

He looked around and didn't see Uri jumping out of the jungle to tear at his limbs, so he thought, all in all, that things were going splendidly.

"Well, I think that's good for now," he said before walking over and sitting by the water. "Lesson one passed with flying colors."

* * *

"Yay!" She said excitedly before joining him by the water. She took off her boots and dipped her feet into the cool liquid. She was half inclined to jump in, but decided against it. She felt content just sitting.

"You have a nice laugh. You don't really do it often enough." She told him not taking her eyes from the water, "Can I ask you something? What were you thinking about when you were demonstrating for me?"

* * *

Alistair gave a faint smile as his eyes traveled over the surface of the water.

"When I need a burning passion, I think of my father. He was a great man, and I think of how he taught me and brought me up to who I am today. I try to picture myself as brave as him. When I need a cool and caluclating edge, I think of mother. She always used her impressive wit to great skill, able to debate and think and cut through opposition with cool logic like a knife. I try to picture my mind as sharp as hers. With thunder-" he began, then stopped. He hadn't really shared any of this before, and he was finding it a bit difficult.

"When I used to practice Thunder, I tried to imagine my destiny as a great mage and a well-loved man. However, in recent years that feeling began to grow weaker as I felt the likelihood slipping through my fingers. But now...now I think of starting out on the beginning of something great with people whose destinies are intertwined with mine. That gave me a spark of hope and excitement that you saw before."

His voice trailed off and he silently contemplated his gloved hands.

* * *

Amara listened as Alistair told her about the catalysts to his magic and smiled sadly. She saw him consider his gloves and figured they held some sentimental value to him. He had glanced at them when he spoke of his father, so maybe they had been his. She felt a twinge of envy that he had such strong memories about his parents and wondered not for the first time what hers had been like.

"What happened to them? Your parents." She spoke softly not really sure if she was crossing the line in asking such personal questions.

* * *

Alsitair was very quiet for a few moments as he flexed and unflexed his leather-clad hands. He'd never really had friends so he had never been able to share these sort of things with anyone.

_"But I guess if I'm going to fight and possibly die with these people then there can't be any harm in a handful of people knowing my true thoughts and feelings."_

He lifted his head up and looked upward over the trees as he said quietly, "My father died protecting my mother and I from bitter Geostigma victims. These gloves are a momento of his courageous act that night. My mother died in her sleep a few years later. I always suspected she dreamed of my father, and one day one of those dreams must have been a more preferrable reality than the one she lived in."

He gave a low, mirthless laugh and sunk his head to his chest. Someone speaking of their deaths hadn't really helped at all. Still, he had managed to talk about it, and that was something at least.

* * *

Amara watched him and tears slowly found their way into her eyes. Afraid he'd see her tearing up, she casually took the comb out of her hair and let it ripple down her back. She draped a thick lock along her face to hide her eyes from him then gazed into the water at her feet and wiggled her toes.

"A few years ago," She said after a long silence had passed between them, "Nanaki...er, Red XIII, told me and Uri stories about how him and his friends had saved the planet. I've thought about it a lot over the years, and if it came down to it, I don't know if I could give up everything to save the planet. I mean, I want to do my part, but it's just too big for one person, or even a group of people." She sighed and pulled her knees to her chest. "I think they felt the same way. They all had their own reasons for fighting, but what it really came down to was that they were trying to protect the people they loved. I know I wouldn't give it a second thought to give up my life for Uri, or anyone I cared about. Maybe that's why Gaia gives us those connections, to make the sacrifices easier."

She touched his shoulder and smiled softly. "Your parents loved you. Their sacrifices were for you, and if destiny is leading us, then maybe they have a little part in that. I'm sure if they could say it, they'd tell you they were proud of you."

Her eyes drifted to the field and her smile broadened.

"Uri's on his way back. I better get a fire going to cook some food." She lifted her hand from his shoulder and got up to make her way back to camp to start up the fire. "Thank you for training me."

* * *

Alistair didn't reply as she walked away but continued to stare at his reflection in the water. Amara's words were very heavy and carried a lot of meaning, and he wanted time to think about them.

_"I've trained myself to fight with these two hands to defend those I love, but I haven't had anyone be a part of my heart in such a long time that it's hard to know if I would be able to be as noble as my father. But as long as I have these fists I'll keep on fighting. I will continue to make my parents proud, and maybe along the way I will find something or someone to fight for."_

He was finally able to smile, and the reflected smile sparkled in the sunlight. He stood, took a refreshing breath of the fresh air, then turned and walked back to the camp.

* * *

Uri came trotting back to the camp feeling rejuvinated. His hunt had gone well and he was able to bring back some meat for the others. He had taken the liberty of devouring most of the animal himself and taking the backstrap for Amara to cook. She was perfectly fine with gutting and skinning the animal when they were alone, but he wasn't too sure how the others would react to it.

As he approached, he noticed the area around the waterfall had been damaged and felt a twinge of panic, but settled himself when he saw that everyone seemed fine. Alistair was sitting at the water, Arashi was sleeping soundly underneath a tree and Amara was stirring the fire.

He padded over to Amara and placed the meat onto the washed stone slab she was using as a chopping board. She greeted him and gave him a hug before taking her carving knife and light cooking pot from her pack.

"What happened?" He asked her referring to the waterfall, "Were you in a fight?"

"Uhh..." Amara imediately thought of her run in with the bomb, but then realized what he was talking about and giggled. "No, no. Just practicing magic. Alistair was training me."

_Alistair was what?_ He thought, but said aloud, "He asked to train you?"

"Well, not at first." She said smirking, "I kind of coaxed him to. He suggested it though, and he's right. I could use the help." She held out the cooking pot to Uri. "Could you fill this with water please?"

Uri reluctantly took it and headed to the water passing Alistair on the way. He forced himself to be civil and nodded politely as he walked past, but he was irrated to say the least that he had waited until he left to approach Amara. Obviously nothing had happened, but still. Since they would be staying together, he really wanted to be able to trust him, but he was making it extremely difficult.

_I think I'll have to have a talk with him._ Uri thought soberly as he scooped up water. He made his way back to Amara being careful not to spill.

-------

_Now who is this?_ Aeron thought as he stood off in the distance watching Samora and a young boy sitting together at a cafe. _Hmm, he has the aura too. Interesting._

He slipped his shades on and decided to formally introduce himself to the young woman. There was no sense in waiting, he needed to trust gain her trust and there was little time to do it. When the others met up with her, which he was sure they would, she would be his way into their group.

* * *

Alistair noticed Uri's return to camp and sighed forlornly.

"So much for the peace and quiet," he mused. He was sure the wolf-lion was going to confront him about the impromptu teaching lesson. He stood and walked back to camp, careful to appear disinterested in the overprotective wolf-lion and his companion. He sat back down at his spot and began to read again, trying to keep his mind off the brewing storm he had created.

* * *

Liam bit into his toast and chewed thoughtfully before washing it down with his coffee.

"You know, since you're a stranger in this area, I can help you out. Think of me as your unofficial guide," he said, smiling as cheerfully as he could. He was sure he was making progress. Just a little more time and he was sure he'd get Samora to take him along with her.

* * *

Samora sat back in her chair and smiled warmly at the young boy. It was sweet how much he tried to act like an adult. She was impressed he was able to drink his coffee with a straight face though.

"Unofficial guide," She said trying very hard not to talk condescendingly to him. The last thing she wanted to do was hurt his feelings. "I think that would be a great idea."

* * *

_"Yes!"_ he shouted to himself. He had done it. Now that he was joined with Samora it was only a matter of time before his mother's murderer showed up.

"Great," he said, smiling broadly. "So where exactly do you need to go?"

-----------

Alistair sniffed the air, unable to make out what their dinner was. Obviously it was some kind of meat, but considering Uri had mauled the creature beyond his recognition there was no way he could know.

"I hope it's nothing too strange," he thought. He put his book down and prodded Arashi with his foot, who didn't seem to stir. Looking up, he saw Amara finishing up with the food and Uri, of course, keeping himself conveniently in the way.

"Is the...whatever-it-is almost ready?" he called over to Amara. "I was thinking of taking a bath in the waterfall pool. Who knows the next time I might get one. But if we're ready now I'll wait till later."

* * *

"Yes, the whatever-it-is is done." Amara said smiling to herself. She had almost forgotten he wasn't used to roughing it. "There were quit a few edible plants around here that are actually pretty tasty. Hope you don't mind it. It's better than nothing anyway."

She passed him a bowl of the stew and small utensil. Since she had originally just packed for her and Uri, she only had one bowl with her so she decided to wait to eat while he was bathing.

-------

"I'm glad to see you are doing well." Said a deep voice from behind the booth where Samora and Liam were sitting. Samora turned to see the man who had killed the muggers. She didn't want to think that he had rescued her, just saved her the trouble of having to kill the looters herself. "May I join you?"

Samora just nodded and watched him carefully as he took the seat next to her. He kept his shades on even though he was indoors now and she came to the conclusion that he was attempting to conceal his blackened eye. She had to admit to herself, she was alittle relieved that he was.

"My name is Aeron by the way." He said, his voice calm and icy.

"I'm Samora." She told him then gestured to the boy, "And this is Liam. He's my guide to the city."

* * *

"Very true," he agreed. He took the bowl and tried a spoonfull. It actually wasn't too bad. He noticed that she wasn't eating anything, probably because there weren't enough utensils. Feeling guilty, he hurried to finish his food. Once he finished, he handed the bowl back and smiled.

"Thank you, Amara. I appreciate the effort you went through to cook this."

He stood up and turned to go take his bath, then spoke over his shoulder, "And of course to you, Master Wolf-Lion, for catching it. I'm glad everyone is doing what they can to contribute to the group."

He hoped the hint would be enough for Uri to catch on. He walked past the clearing without looking back and smiled as he prepared to take his long-awaited bath.

-----------------

Liam felt his throat constrict like an invisible hand was grasping it. Here was his mother's murderer mere inches away from him. He could reach into his blazer, pull out his Sylph Blades, and finally serve justice. But could he manage to do it in this crowded cafe? No, he didn't want to avenge his mother's inadvertent death by causing more inadvertent deaths.

"Pleased to meet you," he managed to choke out. He knew he was going to give himself away if he kept this out. He needed to keep his cool, and the best way to do this was to let Samora carry the conversation, so he remained silent as he watched their interaction.

* * *

After he left Amara ate her portion before waking Arashi up to eat.

"Sorry, just didn't want it to go to waste." She said passing him his share, "You can sleep again when you're done. Uri and me still want to get a nap in before we go."

Uri curled up on the ground and rested his head on his paws. Amara sat next to him again and ran her hand over his soft mane. He started purring like a giant cat and she instantly started feeling sleepy.

_I'll clean after I wake up._ She thought and laid down next to her friend and quickly fell asleep. Uri remained awake and watched Arashi finish his meal then slip back into slumber.

_Strange how someone can sleep so much._ Uri thought to himself with a smirk. He waited patiently for Alistair to get back from his bath. He still wanted to talk to him, but decided to let him have his moment of peace.

-------

"The pleasure is all mine." Aeron said to Liam with the smallest hint of a smile. There was something about the boy that was unsettling. He had been on edge the moment he had come into the cafe. _I'll have to keep an eye on him._

"You know," Samora said after taking a sip of her coffee, "you left so suddenly yesterday, I didn't get to say thank you."

"I'm sorry about that." He said trying to sound sincere, which he found a little difficult. He was so used to supressing emotions that it was almost foreign to him to try and use them. "I ran into you while I was on a job. I had to go back and finish."

"Oh. No that's okay." Samora said then remembered Liam, "We were just discussing what we were going to do next. I was hoping to maybe find someone who could tell me about the earthquakes. That's sort of why I came to Edge in the first place."

* * *

Alistair 's head emerged from underneath the water and he sighed contentedly as he ran his hands through his wet hair. It felt nice to get clean.

Up in the trees above, Elia managed to get into view and almost squealed with delight.

"Jackpot!" she thought with a huge grin.

Alistair suddenly felt eyes on him and looked up to see Elia in the trees. Their eyes met, and Alistair felt his face whiten, knowing that fighting in his current state would would be awful no matter what way you looked at it.

Elia jumped down and sauntered over to the waterfall lake. Alistair sunk lower into the water, causing her to giggle.

"Hey there. Relax I'm not here to fight. Sorry about what happened before."

Alistair wasn't sure how to respond in this completely unorthodox situation, so he merely nodded.

"So, what are you guys doing out here, cutie," she asked, winking. Alistair blushed slightly, but he kept a firm face.

"If you think you're going to get information out of me then you're sadly mistake," he replied. Elia looked hurt.

"I just wanted to talk to you," she said with a pout, laying on the grass in front of the water so that their heads were level. This was way too much fun.

------------------

Liam cringed slightly as Samora revealed more and more information to the man. This couldn't end well. The man had to be up to something.

"Miss Samora," he replied, "if you really want to get that done today then we should hurry. There's a lot of area to cover if I'm right about where to look for your information."

* * *

Aeron studied the youth as he spoke. He was anxious, which wasn't uncommon when he was around people. He tended to have that effect and in fact thrived on it. However, for his current purpose, he needed them to be at ease.

"Indeed." He agreed. "I believe I know what place you're talking about and would be willing to accompany you there if you like."

"Oh..." Samora looked from Aeron to Liam feeling a small amount of tension rising between the two. "Um. Sure. Why not? Right Liam?"

-------

Uri caught a familiar sent in the air and snapped to attention. He scanned the area for the woman who had entranced him. She was close. His eyes stopped at the waterfall where Alistair was bathing at. There standing at the edge of the pool, was the blond woman. Uri growled at the sight of her.

_What are you up to? _He nudged Amara who took a moment to come around.

"What is it?" She asked still in a daze.

"_She _is here." He hissed under his breath. Amara's eyes immediately cleared and she sprang up to her feet and kneeled low to the ground.

"Where is she?"

* * *

Liam forced himself to be calm and collected. He was ready for this and he wasn't going to lose this opportunity by not being able to keep his cool.

"Sure," he replied before standing up. He placed some money on the table and smiled.

"I hear men are supposed to treat women," he replied, then turned and made for the door.

"Come on!" he called back cheerfully. As he turned forward, however, his face was stonily set.

------------------

"So, do you do this often?" Elia replied playfully. She kicked her legs back and forth in the air as she layed on the cool grass in front of Alistair. Alistair frowned back at her and crossed his arms.

"I can't imagine that you came here to just talk to me. If you came here to fight, then stop playing these games."

Elia laughed richly and leaned forward toward Alistair.

"Relax, gorgeous. Games are supposed to be fun," she replied before capturing his lips in a quick kiss.

* * *

Uri and Amara had separated in order to surround the woman. They crept through the long grass being carefull not to make a sound. As they came in closer they could hear the conversation between the two. They stood in place when they heard her say that she had not come to fight.

Amara frowned as she parted the grass in front of her just enough to see the woman laying on the ground perfectly at ease. She felt her stomach tighten and had to keep herself steady.

_What are you up to? _She thought and wished she could speak with Uri who was several feet away opposite her position.

Uri was able to pick out more of their conversation and could tell that Alistair did not seem to be in any immediate danger, but who knew how long he would remain that way? The woman was obviously unstable.

He heard her laugh and got ready to pounce, but froze when he saw her move in and plant a kiss on the young nobleman.

Amara saw it as well and her jaw dropped. She glared at the woman's back and clutched her sword.

_Bitch! _She caught herself thinking and took a brief moment to ponder why before silently rushing up behind her, snatching a pony tail and dragging her up by her hair.

"Hey, kiss this!" She said head butting her.

* * *

Alistair's face flushed brilliantly and he further submerged into the water as Amara bounded into view so that only his eyes and shocking red hair were visible.

Meanwhile, Elia staggered back, clutching a hand to her face.

"You again?" she spat. "I've had enough of you're interfering!"

Elia was ready to lunge forward when she remembered her orders. She stopped short, then skulked back into the shadow of the trees.

"Fine, I'll go for now," she replied. She turned and gave wink at Alistair, then jumped through the trees.

_"Oh please let me drown,"_ Alistair thought desparingly.

* * *

"What the hell was that?!" Amara said aloud a bit more fiercely than she wanted. She looked down at Alistair, then remembered he was suppose to be bathing and turned her back to him.

"She's gone now." Uri said standing next to her, "I'll stay with Alistair, you better clear camp. We should get moving soon."

Amara nodded and left the two alone. Uri turned and frowned at Alistair who was blushing to the point where his face seemed to blend into his hair.

"Are you alright?"

------

"So where exactly are we going?" Samora asked her companions as they walked together through the city.

"RETABLIR headquarters." Aeron told her pointing in the direction of a tall building several blocks away. "Once you're there, they should be able to direct you to someone who can answer your questions and most likely provide lodging."

"RETABLIR..." She thought about where she had heard the name before, "they are the organization for planet restoration right?"

* * *

"No," he groaned. He'd gone from always being very private and proper to having two girls (and a wolf-lion) barge in on him bathing. Add to that that one of them had kissed him and the other had witnessed it. What a mess.

"Look I just really want to get dressed," he said, edging toward the bank where his clothes were. He waited for Uri to turn, then snatched his clothes and quickly put them on. It wasn't pleasant to put back on clothes when you're still wet but it was more preferrable to having to wait around unclothed for another solution. He ran a hand through his wet hair and sighed before pulling his gloves back on.

"Let's just get back," he told the wolf-lion.

---------------

"That's right," Liam replied. He was walking a little bit ahead of Samora and Aeron, his mind racing with ideas. What should he do? The killer was within his grasp. But he couldn't screw up. He would only get one shot, he knew. What to do...

* * *

As they neared the building, Aeron thought carefully about what his next course of action should be. Thankfully, he was not known to the company because he technically did not exist so he could walk in and no one would suspect anything, that is as long as he kept his tags with the FESTANCA logo out of view.

Of course, as far as Samora was concerned, he was simply leading her to her destination._ Perhaps I should leave it at that for now._

As soon as they came to the front desk and Samora spoke with the receptionist, Aeron took the oportunity to make his exit.

"You should be alright from here." He told her then pulled a card from the receptionist desk and scribbled his number down. "You can contact me here. Let me know when you are settled in. It was nice seeing you again Samora. Liam." He turned to the boy and inclined his head, "Pleasure to meet you. Until next time."

Samora watched him leave then looked down at the number he had given her. _That was...sweet? _She thought about it for a moment. _I guess for him. I wonder if he's always that cold._

"Are you going to leave me too?" She asked her new friend frowning slightly.

--------

Amara quickly gathered everything together and had it all packed away by the time Uri and Alistair made it back. She glanced at the red head from the corner of her eye and saw that he looked extremely uncomfortable.

_Probably shouldn't talk about it right now._ She thought slinging her pack over her shoulder as Uri woke up Arashi and let him know that they were heading out.

"We should make it to North Corel before sunset." He informed them, "We can find an inn there."

* * *

Liam tensed, but managed to hold himself back as the man left.

_"Until next time...so I was right," _he thought, the revelation almost making him smile. He turned his head to look at Samora and smiled brightly. He was starting to get good at this.

"Of course not," he replied. "I'm here to help!"

---------------

Alistair kept his head down as they set off.

_"What a mess,"_ he kept thinking to himself. He suddenly felt even more isolated than before, as if all the progress he had made had been turned upside down like an hourglass.

_"An inn...thank heavens. I think Ill pay extra to get separate rooms this time,"_ he thought. He couldn't bear the thought of having Amara and Uri watching him with that air of silent judgment.

_"Maybe things will be better in the morning,"_ he told himself with a sigh. He looked at the back of Amara's figure and hoped so.


	3. Chapter 3

The walk to North Corel was considerably more quiet than it had been before they stopped to rest. Uri sensing Amara's frustration, decided best to leave her alone and trotted up to the front to walk along side Arashi. Amara was playing the kiss back over and over in her mind. She wasn't sure why it bothered her so much other than it was just _wrong_.

_That crazy blond bitch entrances Uri and then kisses Alistair? What game is she playing at? _She threw a quick glance back at Alistair and suddenly felt really terrible. _He looks so miserable. He couldn't be that upset about the kiss could he?_

She slowed her pace enough to let Alistair catch up with her and then fell in step with him. He didn't even seem to notice.

"Hi." She said unable to think of anything wittier to say. "How's it going?"

* * *

Alistair looked up, slightly startled, to see Amara looking at him concern.

"Oh, hello," he replied calmly. He didn't want sympathy or judging or anything. He just wanted everyone to forget it ever happened, so he quickly took control of the conversation.

"Are you allowed to be back here?" he asked lightly. "I was under the impression that Uri had placed my company on the banned list."

* * *

Amara's eyes widened and her jaw went slack as Alistair spoke.

"What?" She said, her voice tinged with anger and disbelief, "That's what this thing between you two has been about?"

She looked at Uri who she knew had heard her outburst. He was looking over his shoulder at her and when their eyes met, he jerked his head forward and focused on the road. She glared at him feeling her face flush with annoyance. She knew he was only trying to protect her, but if he thought that Alistair was a real threat he would have told her outright. He meant well, but had crossed the line going behind her back and dictating who she could befriend and this infuriated her.

She was about to apologise when she realized that Uri already had. _Then why would Alistair say he was under that impression? And if he was then why..._

"Wait, if that's what you thought, then what was with the magic lesson?" She asked looking back at him a severe expression crossing her face. "What were you trying to do, get back at him or something?" As the words left her mouth she felt her chest tighten. _That can't be right, can it? _"I thought...." _I had fun. _"...you really wanted to help me." _He wouldn't use me...would he?_

She wasn't sure if she was being irrational or not, but she was too upset to stand here talking about it now. She clentched her fists and quickly walked away from him. As she passed Uri he tried to say something but she gave him a look that could have burned a hole through steel.

"I'm not talking to you." She lashed at him, making him crouch low to the ground defensively and kept going. She could not remember ever feeling as angry as she did at that moment. She needed to cool down and then she could listen to an explaination if he bothered to offer one.

_How can I feel this bad so fast? _She thought as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. _I just wanted to make sure he was ok. If he didn't want to talk he could have just said that!_

"Damn it!"

---------

Samora sat at a computer in RETABLIR's library. She was slouched against the desk, her chin resting in her hand, scrolling through old news reports about earthquakes and other bizarre disasters. She wasn't seeing any patterns, but from what she could tell the reports had started about ten years ago.

She clicked the print icon once again and collected the papers as they came pouring out from the printer. She would have to review them again when she wasn't feeling so tired.

"I guess that'll be it for now." She told Liam who had been patiently waiting the whole time. _I should treat him to dinner for being so nice. _"Do you wanna grab something to eat?"

* * *

"Amara, I didn't-" Alistair began, but she was already out of earshot and probably wouldn't have listened even if she wasn't.

_"Damn it all!"_ he cursed to himself. He was making a royal mess of things today. He had to apologize, make her understand. He couldn't do it now, of course.

_"The inn...that will be the best time to get her alone," _he thought, trying to push away the pang of disappointment in his chest.

--------------

Liam, who was silently brooding over his next phase of plans, looked up at Samora.

"Hmm? Oh, yeah I could definitely eat," he replied, standing up. He looked over at her papers, then back at her.

"How's your search going?" he asked, genuinely curious. Sure, he was using her in a way, but that didn't mean he had any ill-will against her. She seemed nice enough anyway. In fact, she was probably the only person he'd talked to in a while that treated him normally. The thought caused a slightly uneasy feeling to surface in his stomach, but he forced it back down. He was simply doing what he needed to.

* * *

"Ok, do you know any good places?" Samora asked loading up the stack of paper into a bag one of the librians had been kind enough to give her. She reached into her pocket for her wallet to make sure she had enough gil and her hand brushed against the card Aeron had given her. She looked at it a moment and thought about calling him, but decided to wait.

"I'll let you choose since I'm new here." She said after making sure she had enough money, gave him a wink.

------

Aeron stood atop one of the buildings across from RETABLIR and waited for Samora and Liam. He had made a call to INQUINA earlier to give them his report and had been instructed to maintain his rouse. It wasn't going to be easy. He had just recieved orders from FESTANCA to make an assasination and would have to leave Edge for the night.

He watched the two exit the building and make their way into the main street, probably to find a place to eat.

He checked his phone and dialed Elia.

"Elia," He said after he heard her voice, "Progress?"

--------

Uri's shoulders were slumped as he walked. He had never seen her that irrate before and it had literally scared him.

_I'll have to talk to her tonight._ He thought feeling terrible over the whole situation. _Hopefully she cools down by then._

_

* * *

_

Liam spied the restaurant and grabbed Samora's hand.

"Over here!" he told her and pulled her toward the entrance. This was his favorite restaurant in Edge. His mother used to take him here for special occassions. It seemed fitting to come here now that he was on the trail of avenging his mother.

"I hope you like it," he said, smiling up at the girl.

------------

_"Not unless you count getting a kiss from the hot red-head," _she thought dryly.

"Not really. They're in an inn in North Corel for the night. Nothing particularly unusual. How are things on your end?" she asked.

------------

Alistair opened the door to his room and looked down the hallway to see if anyone was around. It was fortunate that he did get separate rooms since no one seemed to want to talk. He treaded softly down the carpeted hall and stopped in front of Amara's room. He knocked softly on it, hoping not to get Uri's attention.

"Amara, it's me," he said quietly. He was going to ask to come in but he thought better of it. Uri thinking of the two of them in that room unsupervised would be disastrous. "I was wondering if you would go on a walk with me. I...wanted to talk to you."

* * *

"Not as good as I would like." Aeron admitted, "There is another that joined up with the girl. A boy and he seems to be very weary of me. I'll have to try to work on the girl when she is alone...no comment please. I have another assignment from FESTANCA. I'll call again as soon as I'm through with it."

He hung up the phone and watched as the two made their way to a restaurant. As soon as they went inside, he left his perch on the ledge to make his way to his next target.

---------

Amara had just finished with her shower and was working at drying her hair when she heard Alistair knock at the door. She had calmed down considerably since that afternoon and decided she should probably let Alistair talk. She let out a long sigh, then opened the door.

"Alright. Where do you want to go?"

* * *

Liam took a bite of steak and chewed happily. He looked up to see if Samora was enjoying her food.

"Do you like it?" he asked after he had swallowed.

----------

Elia smirked to herself. Aeron seemed to be keeping himself entertained, and she had to admit that having corresponding missions like this was much more fun that having to team up with Vrede.

"Lucky me," she thought as she stretched out on the roof opposite the inn.

-----------

Alistair gave a relieved smile and offered his arm to her out of habit.

"Wherever you like," he said sincerely. He took her accepting his offer as a good sign at least. And the fact that Uri hadn't pounced on him yet was divine grace from the heavens. Hopefully, his luck, now that it seemed to change, would hold up for the rest of the night.

* * *

Samora beamed a smile at Liam as she chewed her food.

"It's delicious. Thank you for showing me this place." She dabbed the sides of her mouth with her napkin then took a sip of her soda. "So tomorrow, I'm probably going to be in the library again. But I would like it if you could show me around the city, being my unofficial guide and all."

---------

Amara blushed slightly at the gesture and took his arm, running her fingers through her still damp hair as she did.

"Well..." She said smiling up at him, "there's a nice garden outside."

* * *

"Sure," he replied, putting his cup of soda down and smiling. He figured it wasn't just something kids drank since she did. "It's part of the job description."

-------------------

"Sounds perfect," he whispered softly. He led her out of the inn and into the gardens, which looked beautiful at night.

"Amara," he began gingerly, "I wanted to explain about what I said earlier. I knew Uri wasn't fond of my company and I was merely surprised that he didn't jump at you for talking to me. I know he apologized but I don't think the hostility has really gone away. In any case, my...earlier predicaments left me in a somewhat tactless state before and I didn't speak carefully."

He waited a moment, then went on. "And please don't think that I offered to train you to get back at him. I genuinely wanted to help you and...I thought it could be a good way to get to know each other better. I would understand if you didn't want to continue, but I truly hope you won't judge me so hastily."

He turned his gaze, which had been resolutely ahead, toward her, waiting hopefully for her response.

* * *

Amara watched Alistair as he spoke and was convinced he was sincere and felt guilty for how she reacted earlier. He had been through a lot in the past forty-eight hours, his whole world had been turned upside down and he needed a friend.

"It's ok." She said after a brief moment. "I'm sorry about getting so mad earlier and I would be honored if you would continue to teach me." She released his arm and stepped away looking at the night sky. As she was gazing up at the stars, music started playing from the inn's resturant. She turned back to Alistair and gave him a soft smile. "Do you like to dance?"

* * *

Alistair blinked for a moment, surprised.

"Yes, I do," he replied. "Would you...like to?"

He offered a hand to her and felt a smile grace his features. At the moment any thought of repercussions were banished from his mind. It was as though they she was the only thing that mattered at the moment, and he wasn't sure why that made him feel a bit lighter.

* * *

She took his hand and stepped close to him. She knew this song and hummed along with it as they moved together in rhythm to the music. It was strange how she felt so comfortable with him even though they had not known each other very long and as the music played on, everything around them seemed to blur together until all she saw was him. She smiled gently at him and took a small step closer and noticed his eyes as they caught the light of the lanterns that lit the garden.

"You have beautiful eyes." She whispered softly almost by accident and blushed when she realised she had said it.

* * *

"You're too kind," he said, with a charming grin, loving how she blushed. He gave her a slow twirl, then pulled her back toward him.

"I would reciprocate that feeling but that would just come off as lazy," he said teasingly, as they danced back and forth.

"My mother taught me to dance to this song when I was younger. It was a given for the status to learn to dance, of course. It wasn't nearly as much fun with her though," he said, his voice lowering huskily at the end without his notice.

* * *

Amara felt her pulse quicken at the change in his tone and suddenly felt very warm. As the song neared the end and she gazed into his deep blue eyes she had a startling revelation of why the crazy woman's kiss and his comment on the road had bothered her so much. It had been painfully obvious to Uri and she should have realized it as well.

_I like him._

As soon as the thought entered her mind, she fell out of step and broke away from him like shrapnel from an explosion. She quickly regained her composure, but the moment had indeed died and all she could do was smile bashfully at him.

"Sorry, I guess I'm just tired." She said weakly, almost stuttering. "Had a long day...better go and get some sleep. Thank you for the dance." Completely on impulse and without thinking she took a couple quick steps forward, stood up on her toes and softly placed a kiss on his cheek. _What am I doing?_ "Um...heh, goodnight Alistair."

She turned on her heel while she spoke feeling her face redden in the process and made to go back inside to her room and bury her head in her pillow until morning.

* * *

Alistair watched her walk away and smiled to himself. He had thought for a moment that he did something wrong when she stepped away so suddenly, but the tingling feeling still on his cheek said otherwise. The more sensible side of his mind kicked in, chiding him for getting into dangerous waters. By the time morning rolled around he kept telling himself that it was just the thrill of the moment and that it really meant nothing on either side. This was at least comforting in one respect, since when he sat down to breakfast he could look at Uri without panicking about the previous night.

"Good morning," he said, helping himself to some food. "I hope everyone slept well."

* * *

Arashi's eyes burst open and he gasped for air, sweat pouring from his body. He had dreamt of the night of his father's death as the rotting disease took him over. Arashi panted heavily, his eyes still widened.

* * *

Alistair was about to put his fork into his mouth when he heard a loud gasp from upstairs. His eyes scanned the table.

_"Arashi's not here..."_

He stood up quickly and made his way up the stairs to Arashi's room where he knocked loudly.

"Arashi? Are you all right?"

* * *

Arashi gulped and wiped is face. "Y-y-yeah." he stuttered.

* * *

Alistair stood hesitantly in front of the door, not sure what to do. After a moment, he replied, "Do you want to talk? Or do you just need time alone?"

* * *

"N-no. I'm fine. Just a dream." Arashi replied, shivering slightly.

* * *

"All right..." Alistair replied hesitantly. "We're all downstairs if you want to join us for breakfast."

He stepped away from the door and wondered silently about their fourth party member. He had been sleeping a lot lately. Maybe he was experiencing something through it. He couldn't be sure unless Arashi decided to open about it. He shrugged to himself, then descended the stairs back to his breakfast.

* * *

Arashi made himself decent and walked down the steps slowly. There was something haunting about the dream. he had seen another man in the dream, a dark and truly evil figure. Who was he??

* * *

Alistair looked up as Arashi entered the room. He seemed to be in a daze. Alistair waited for him to sit before he asked any questions.

"You...sure you're feeling all right?" he asked. "Maybe if you eat you'll feel better."

* * *

"Y-yeah." Arashi said softly as he sat down to eat. "Just...a nightmare."

* * *

_"Before it was a dream...now it's a nightmare. Interesting."_

Alistair nodded and passed Arashi a tray of biscuits. "Well, that's good. It wouldn't be very helpful to travel if you weren't in a good state of mind."

* * *

Arashi ate a few biscuits and nodded. "Yeah, it wouldn't be...." Arashi replied. He then looked around. "So where's your girlfriend?" he asked with a sly smirk.

* * *

Alistair gave Arashi a sharp kick to the shin under the table. He took a sip of his coffee and looked at Arashi innocently.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" he asked, giving a look of death under his smile.

* * *

Arashi winced slightly. "I mean, where's Amara and Uri? I like talking to Uri. He's pretty knowledgeable." Arashi said with a smile.

_I've got some dirt on u, buddy._

_

* * *

_

Alistair looked around. "They must have finished. And what's that supposed to mean anyway?"

Alistair was starting to feel slightly panicky. Amara and Uri already knew about Elia's kiss, so his tone that he was holding a secret couldn't be referring to her. Then that would mean...

He felt his face slowly draining of color as the realization dawned on him, and he took a quick swig of coffee to try to steady his nerves. This definitely wasn't good.

* * *

_I got him..._

"Uri was just telling me about your battle yesterday. I here you did pretty well....in more ways then one." Arashi said.

* * *

_"Oh thank all the stars in the heavens,"_ he thought with relief. He hadn't been talking about his previous night with Amara.

"Yes, well," he said, half-relieved and half-embarrassed that the previous afternoon's events were being dug up, "I think I'd better find Amara and Uri. You keep eating."

He quickly got up and casually strolled from the room, his feet blindly taking him down the hallway. He thought he heard Amara nearby. Maybe Uri wouldn't be around and they could relax together before it was time to depart.

* * *

"Oh and I heard that music last night! You might wanna try something a little lower in volume." Arashi said with a wide smile and a laugh.

* * *

"Smart-ass prick," Alistair mumbled to himself as he stalked down the hall away from Arashi, hoping he would stop shouting his most embarrassing secrets to all the inn.

* * *

9:23 p.m. Planetary Research Center - Midgar Area

Dr. Beth Powers was going over the research she had collected on the effects of geostigma again, double and triple checking her findings. Victor Cross, the director of RETABLIR, was expecting her report in the morning and she could not afford to miss any details. If her theory was correct, then the earthquakes and storms were just the beginning.

She pulled up the notations she had made for FESTANCA and frowned. As if there wasn't enough to worry about, their experimentationons with geostigma to create new SOLDIERS were now well under way. She had gotten an update from a contact she had on the inside and the news was disturbing to say the least. If RETABLIR did not move soon, then there would be a whole new threat facing them and there would be no way of dealing with it and the unnatural planetary disasters.

She quickly filed everything away in its folder and placed it securely in her briefcase. She was going to turn off her computer, but she had the feeling she had better back up the information. As an extra security measure she copied the files and sent them off to herself.

_Better be safe._ She thought as she clicked send. A message flashed on the monitor that the file had been sent and then everything went dark. It was impossible that this was a power outage, the facility had it's own power source and a back up generator on top of that. _Someone_ had to have shut it down.

The hairs on the back of her neck pricked up as she clumsily tried to find her way through the dark isle to the exit. Panic rose inside of her as she bumped against desks and chairs, the noise echoing in the empty room giving away her position. Suddenly, the backup lights came up, startling her and scattering dozens of shadows around the room from the thin beams of light. When she saw that she was alone, her heart slowly started to slow its pace until she thought she saw the shadows move.

They took on forms of wraiths and reached out for her. Terror took hold of the poor woman and she froze in place until she felt one grab hold of her arm. A blood curtling scream filled the room as she tore away from the ghostly apparision and tried to flee, but they chased her down. Dark hands caught her and held her in place. She screamed and cried and flailed her arms, but felt only air surrounding her. Then suddenly they collapsed into blades and sliced through her body, silencing her pitiful screams for help. She fell to the ground dead as they retreated back into the darkness and Aeron sauntered over to her brief case and took the files she had placed inside.

He took out his phone and called Elia.

"I finished my assignment." He said casually, stepping over the doctor's body on his way out of the building.

---------

Inn at North Corel

Uri and Amara sat quietly together at the table eating their breakfast. She had run into him the night before when she was rushing back to her room and after they had talked, she had forgiven him. He had promised to be at least civil to Alistair and she hoped that they would be on friendly terms soon. Aside from her personal reasons, it was just rediculous to have any hostility toward one another since they would be traveling together.

As far as her feelings for Alistair, Amara tried to put what happened last night out of her mind. It wasn't the time or place for that sort of thing and even though they had had their "moments" she could not be totally sure if he shared her feelings or was just being polite. When he came down to breakfast, he acted as though nothing had happened, which disappointed her to a degree but she was happy that him and Uri were being nice.

When Alistair went upstairs to check on Arashi, Uri's ears twitched and he turned towards the lobby. Amara was going to ask him what was wrong when she heard a familiar voice.

"Get off yer ass already! We're gonna be late."

"Leah?" Amara said rushing out to the lobby with Uri. The loud blond girl turned around and lit up when she saw the two.

"Amara! Uri!" She exclaimed then embraced her friends. "I can't believe you're here!"

After exchanging pleasantries, they found out she and her brother had been sent from Rocket Town to repair the tramway for the Gold Saucer which had been damaged in the earthquake.

"So what are you guys doin' here?......Edge huh? Well, I have the buggy with me. I can take you to Costa del Sol if you want."

"Really?" Amara asked excitedly. "That would be great!"

"Amara?" She turned to see Ben coming down the stairs and beamed a large smile up at him. He jumped over the last few stairs, rushed over to her and threw her around like a rag doll before giving her a hug. "Hey small fry, long time no see. Hey Uri, good to see you too."

"Same to you." Uri said happily, "You've grown since the last time I saw you."

As they talked, Amara noticed Alistair and waved him over.

"Guys, this is Alistair Greyrose. Alistair, Leah and Ben Highwind. Leah says she can give us a ride to Costa del Sol."

* * *

_"She really is beautiful..."_ he found himself thinking as he looked at her. He realized she was talking to him and he quickly shook the thought away. Since the two strangers were looking at him expectingly, he figured Amara had been introducing them.

"It's a pleasure," he said, incling his head politely. He had managed to pick up one thing, and it slowly dawned on him.

"Did you say ride?" he asked, a smile breaking over his face. Oh joyous day. They wouldn't have to walk again. Lord knows that hadn't been working very well for them. His mind was starting to break through his giddiness, however, and he was beginning to realize other details.

"So...you are the children of Cid Highwind? Interesting. I would hope that would mean we were in capable hands. But, how do you know Amara and Uri?"

---------------

Commander Adray Lasbard finished speaking to one of the investigors, then gave a curt nod and strolled down the hallway.

_"Poor Beth..."_ he thought, shaking his head. _"Cross should have at least let me give her some kind of protection. These are dangerous times we are living in."_

Now Dr. Powers research data, which Cross had informed him was incredibly important, was likely in FESTANCA's hands. That could have disastrous repercussions. He quickly left the research center and got into his vehicle.

_"Headquarters is going to be a mess,"_ he thought as he took off toward Edge.

* * *

"We've known Uri pretty much our whole lives." Leah told Alistair, "We met Miss Amara here almost, what? Ten years ago?" She slinked her arm around Amara's shoulders and gave a little squeeze and a wink. "How did you guys meet?"

"We met a couple days ago." Uri said to the siblings, "Alistair was kind enough to give us shelter from the storm and then the earthquake destroyed his home and we were attacked by FESTANCA agents."

"Wow," Leah said impressed, "real bonding expiriences. Sorry 'bout your house." She turned to her brother and frowned. "Better get to the tram, if we don't get it fixed by tomorrow dad'll be pissed."

"What do ya mean 'we'?" Ben asked frowning but decided to avoid a fight and waved goodbye, "Fine. Good seeing you Amara...Uri. Alistair it was nice meeting you."

* * *

"Likewise," Alistair replied as the siblings left the room. He watched them leave, then turned to Amara.

"So, when are we leaving then?" he asked.

-------------

Liam walked on ahead of Samora up the stairs toward the entrance of RETABLIR's headquarters.

_"Something's up,"_ he thought as he noticed people ducking in and out and whispering among themselves. He reached the entrance and saw a security guard scrutinizing everyone that entered and checking for identification.

_"Uh oh,"_ he thought. He wondered if they were going to be able to get in as easily today as they did the day before. He was going to let Samora take the lead but the guard had spotted him and demanded his business and identification.

"We came to look through the data banks," he said, looking at Samora to see if he was saying the right things.

"The database is closed until further notice except to personnel," the guard replied. "Let me see some i.d."

"I don't have any. As you can see, I'm a little young for identification," he replied snidely. The guard looked annoyed. Suddenly a young man in a black military outfit who couldn't be older than 30 approached them.

"Commander Lasbard," he replied, snapping to attention. Adray nodded and looked at the boy and young woman that he was giving trouble to.

"Is there something you two need?" he asked.

* * *

"As soon as we're ready." Uri said nodding to Amara, "I'll let Arashi know."

"Yeah, Leah's not what you'd call mechanically savvy." Amara told Alistair as Uri left them, "She's probably getting the buggy ready for us right now."

* * *

"I see," Alistair replied with a slight chuckle. He suddenly realized that they were alone and felt his stomach stir slightly with apprehension. He didn't want to really call attention to what had happened the previous night, but he didn't want to just pretend like it didn't happen at all. He hoped this wasn't going to cause awkwardness between them. He certainly didn't want that.

"Well, I guess no walking means no magic lesson," he said, smiling slightly. "I hope you're not too disappointed."

* * *

"Well, it's just to Costa del Sol." Amara said smiling and twirling her hair around her finger. When she realised she was fidgeting she pulled her hands behind her back and forced herself to stand still. "When we get to Junon we're going to have to walk again. I'm sure we'll get a chance to pick up the lessons at some point then." Her smile broadened as she added, "I hope you're looking forward to camping out. I'm going to start loading up, I'll be out with Leah when you're ready to go."

* * *

"All right," he replied, then smiled until she left the room. He scratched his neck and sighed. Well, there wasn't much else for him to do at he moment. He certainly wasn't in the mood to spend time with Arashi, and he still didn't know if Uri was safe territory.

_"Maybe I'll see what Ben is doing,"_ he thought as he walked out of the room.

* * *

Samora looked at the man and laid her hand on Liam's shoulder then pulled him a little closer to her protectively.

"My brother and I were here yesterday doing some research." She said gently tightening her grip on Liam's shoulder as she lied about him being her brother, "We were hoping to pick back up where we left off. Here's my ID." She handed her identification to the security guard and smiled to match her picture.

-------

"The gears are shot." Ben said to a technician as he poked his head around the mechinary waving his flashlight to and fro. "It'll take some work to replace them...ah crap, the motor looks damaged too." He pulled his head back and wiped off the grime that had fallen on his face. "You'll need to tell Dio the Saucer will be out of commision a few more days at least unless he can get me the parts I need."

He caught sight of Alistair coming his way and waved. "Hey, what are you up to?"

* * *

Liam looked up at the man as he took Samora's ID, hoping that he woulld believe her ruse.

Adray's eyes scanned the identification and read to himself, _"Samora Opar."_ He looked at the two of them, then frowned slightly as he looked at Liam.

_"It's not that they couldn't pass as siblings, but...he has something in his eyes that she doesn't. He lost someone very close to him."_

Adray knew that look well. He'd been staring at it in the mirror for more years than he'd care to count. He sighed slightly.

_"Poor boy, losing someone that important at such a young age."_

Well, he could hardly tell people that they weren't allowed in because one of them was feeling loss and the other wasn't. He handed Samora her ID back.

"You can come in with me," he said, holding up a hand before the guard could protest. "Just try to keep your heads down. We're not really taking in any civilians at the moment."

He smiled slightly, a bit of a foreign motion to him, then motioned for them to follow him.

-----------------

Alistair shrugged and replied, "Nothing much. I was bored so I thought I'd see how you do your work."

He looked at the dirt and grime on Ben's face and thought wryly, _"After all, I'm certainly never going to try to find out first hand."_

_

* * *

_

"So why did Cid send _you_ to fix the tram?" Amara asked setting her things on the ground next to the buggy as Leah unloaded bags packed with tools.

"Ugh, I'm not here to fix anything." Leah said groaning and rolled her eyes, "I've been grounded, literally. No air travel whatsoever until further notice. God, blow up one god damned turbine and it's the end of the world. Oh, go ahead and load that up Amara. Anyway, I'm just here to transport the equipment." She lifted the gear and motioned for Amara to follow her to where Ben was working. "So is it just you guys and Alistair?"

"No, one more. His name is Arashi."

"Arashi huh? Is he cute?"

-------

Samora smiled at Liam as the man led them back into the library. She kept her head low as she walked but listened carefully to conversations as they passed by. It was hard to know exactly what had happened, but from what she gathered someone was hurt or killed and something important had been taken.

"Did you see anything?" She whispered to Liam once they were alone in the library. She had noticed him looking around and hoped he was able to pick up more than she had.

* * *

Arashi stepped out of the house and upon mention of his name and cute in the same sentence, walked over to Amara and the girl next to her. "Hey Amara and who might you be?" Arashi asked with a smile.

-----------------

Vrede smiled as he rammed his car into the ribs of a pedestrian crossing the road. He was on his way to Edge to handle some "business" with a supposed RETABLIR supporter. He was elated at the thought because Elia wasn't with him.

* * *

Alistair leaned closer to look inside at the machinery.

"So, how much study does it take to really understand how these things work?" he asked Ben. There was a loud clunking noise and he staggered back coughing. Whatever had happened inside, it had sent up a cloud of black dirt, which was now covering his face. He wiped it with the back of his glove, which only served to smudge it in streaks on his face. He sighed to himself.

"Just my luck."

---------------

"Well, I heard some snatches of conversation. Something about missing files. When we passed by that group by the stairs I saw a report in the one guy's hand. Only thing I could make out was a name: Dr. Beth Powers. Whatever this commotion is about must have something to do with her."

---------------

Elia played with her hair as she layed on the roof.

_"Boring..." _she thought with a sigh. The group hadn't managed to do anything exciting, and she couldn't really make any moves on Alistair. She pouted, wondering if Aeron and Vrede were doing anything more exciting.

_"Probably getting to kill people,"_ she thought enviously. _"Bastards."_

_

* * *

_

"Arashi, this is Leah." Amara introduced the two a smile playing on her face. "She's our ride to Costa del Sol."

"Nice to meet ya." Leah said flipping her hair to the side so she could look at him better. "Yep, cute. It's good to know that when I check the rearview mirror, I'll have something nice to look at." She gave him a wink before continuing on.

"Charming as always." Amara said sacastically and giggled.

"Might as well get it out of the way right?"

-------

"Dr. Powers?" Samora repeated thinking about the papers she had looked over. "She did a lot of research on geostigma and planet movements. Did you hear anything about how she died?"

-------

"Ugh, sorry." Ben said hopping out of the machine. He grabbed up a clean cloth and threw it at Alistair. "Here, always a good idea to carry one. I don't know how much study persay, I've been working around machines my whole life so it kinda comes naturally I guess." He scratched the back of his head thoughtfully then asked as he jumped back inside with the gears, "So why you heading to Edge?"

* * *

Liam shook his head. "It wasn't natural though. That much is obvious. If I'm putting pieces together right, then she was probably assassinated to get her research. But why?"

He had been staring at his lap in concentration, but then looked up at Samora.

"What do you make of all of this?"

-------------

Alistair wiped his face, then looked at the cloth, feeling satisfied to see that most of it had come off his face. He'd probably need to wash it properly later to get the last traces off.

"To Edge? Well, we were planning to visit RETABLIR headquarters to see if we could help them in any way with the restoration of the planet. At least, that's my end goal. I'm not sure what the others plan to do after we get there."

He thought of Amara and wondered if they'd be parting company after that.

_"I wonder if she'll remember me,"_ he thought.

* * *

Arashi smiled. "Heehee, I get that alot." he replied. "So what're are you girls doin'?" he asked.

* * *

Uri caught sight of Amara, Arashi and Leah and ran out to meet them. As he came closer he heard Leah tell Arashi he was cute and rolled his eyes. He came up behind Amara and nudged her.

"Hey, where have you been?" She asked him giving him a friendly pat on the head.

"Some kids were petting me." He replied with a grin making Amara laugh.

"I'm taking this stuff to my brother." Leah said to Arashi. "I need to make sure he has everything he needs before I can take you guys anywhere."

------

Samora thought for a moment about Liam's question.

"I'm not sure." She said finally. "In her papers she seemed like she was making a connection between geostigma and the disasters that have been happening for the last ten years. Maybe she discovered exactly what the connection was. But who would want to kill her for that?"

------

Aeron flipped through Dr. Power's papers and smirked to himself.

_She was brilliant. Pity_.

* * *

Liam shrugged and replied, "Who knows. Unless there's people who don't want that connection to be made."

He leaned forward in his chair and whispered in a lower voice, "Do you think we should try to find out? RETABLIR is on edge so we'd have to be careful."

---------------

Elia dialed Aeron and smirked.

"I hear you got to kill some RETABLIR scientist. Some people get all the fun. Even if she was a woman, at least it's killing someone. I've been stuck up here waiting for these brats to do something."

* * *

"Well, it's why I came here." Samora said determined, "I want answers. Let's see if we can find anything that will give us a clue to who killed her and hopefully that will tell us what they're trying to hide."

--------

"I'm sorry to hear that." Aeron said as sympathetically as he could. "If it makes you feel any better, that assignment has made it more difficult with Samora. I haven't been in contact with her at all today. I'm open to any suggestions."

--------

Ben threw out the damaged gears then jumped out into the fresh air. He was already starting to get a little sweaty and wiped his face again. When he saw the grime on the cloth he looked at Alistair and laughed at the expression on his face.

"It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it." He said smiling broadly. "To tell you the truth, I don't know what I'd do if I wasn't covered in grease."

* * *

"All right," Liam replied while nodding. "But what did you have in mind. Do you want to try spying around the facility or trying to see what we can dig up through the system? The former is probably pretty risky but the latter isn't likely to reveal too much."

--------------

"Missing your girlfriend already?" she said teasingly. "Well if she's back at RETABLIR then I would stay away. You know they're on high alert after your bit of quick work over at Midgard. I'd wait for her to call, or if you really want to talk to her then spy around the entrance to see when they leave. I guess it's your choice."

---------------

Alistair titled his head and looked at Ben with interest, like he was a new species.

"So...you like being dirty?" he asked, trying to understand the mindset of the younger man. How interesting.

* * *

Ben laughed at Alistair's response. He was beginning to like him.

"No, that's not it." He clarified. "I'm just used to it, that's all." Leah and the rest approached the two and she set down all the equipment. "Hey, how's it going? I'm Ben." He took off his glove and extended his hand to Arashi as he introduced himself.

"Wow!" Amara exclaimed with a chuckle, "You've been here ten minutes and you're already filthy."

"I was just telling Alistair here it's all part of the job." He replied rumaging through his his tools. When he found what he wanted, he went back to work.

"You too?" She asked referring to the dirt on Alistair's face. She held out her hand for the cloth he was holding. "Here, let me get it."

* * *

Alistair handed it to her hesitantly, hoping that when his face appeared red afterward that everyone would attribute it to the friction from wiping.

"Of course," he replied, placing it in her hand and chiding himself. There was nothing to be embarrassed about. She was being polite and doing him a favor like any good-natured person would do. Feeling much more at ease, he smiled slightly at her.

* * *

After Aeron hung up with Elia, he went to his usual post outside the RETABLIR building. After thinking about it, he decided to let Samora contact him first, but he would still have to observe her since INQUINA still needed his regular updates as to her movements.

------

Samora had chosen to start with the data banks first, since poking around RETABLIR in its current state would probably have them ending up in a detention facility. After the man that met them at the entrance had let them back in, it didn't seem like a good idea to push their luck. At least, not right away.

------

Amara returned Alistair's smile and left her hand on his a moment before taking the cloth from him. Uri frowned as he watched her gently wipe the dirt off of Alistair's face. She had told him about what happened between them the night before and how she thought she felt about him and he was left with mixed feelings about the whole thing. Still wary about Alistair, happy that Amara confided in him, but more than anything he was worried. He promised he would be nice and he would be, but that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Hey!" Leah called to her brother, "You got everything you need?"

"Uh, yeah." He pulled himself out and dumped more broken parts on the ground. "Dio should be getting me all the parts I need. Hopefully I'll finish everything by tomorrow."

"Alright then!" Leah slapped her hands together and turned to the others. "If ya'll are ready, we can leave. And I'm letting you know right now I don't like backseat drivers. You don't like my driving, you can walk."

"Um, hey Amara?" Ben said quietly as the others were leaving. She turned and gave him an inquisitive look. He quickly wiped his hand and placed it gently on her shoulder. "Let me know when you find out anything ok?"

"Sure." She said giving him a small friendly smile, "You take care."

Ben watched her go frowning deeply. He rubbed the back of his neck before taking up a giant wrench and getting back to work.

* * *

Liam, however, was not as patient as Samora. Really, it was quite a feat that he had been able to wait this long to find his mother's killer. He sat next to her, arms crossed, chafing at the delay. His mind wandered to the man that had let them in earlier. What had his name been? He heard someone mention it in passing.

_"Lasbard,"_ he remembered. _"They called him Commander Lasbard."_

Liam thought of the look in Commander Lasbard's face, that great sadness that lingered behind his eyes.

_"I wonder...did he lose someone too?"_ he thought. Now suddenly something occurred to him. Commander Lasbard would surely have access to all files on the computers, but Liam doubted he would get it for them. They could access the data _as_ him, but they would need a password. He had a hunch at what it might be.

"So, having any luck?" he asked Samora.

--------------

After bidding Ben farewell, Alistair followed Amara and Leah to their ship.

"I wonder what that was all about," he thought as he watched Amara walk. "What is Ben expecting her to find out?"

Knowing that he probably wasn't going to find out by guessing and that it would be rude to ask, he silently conceded to let the matter drop. Maybe she would tell him in time.

* * *

Samora chewed on her lower lip as she looked at the computer screen.

"Actually...yeah." Samora replied turning the monitor so Liam could see what she found. "It's by some tabloid conspiracy nut, but he makes a lot of references to Dr. Powers' work. Somewhere...ah, here it is. 'with the current state of planetary movement, it is safe to assume that there may be some organizations that will try to profit from or exploit the deterioration. As to how that may come about is yet to be determined.' I think I heard about one of the organizations he's talking about. I can't remember what's it's called though."

--------

"Alright, load up everyone!" Leah called jumping into the driver seat.

"I call shot gun!" Amara cried excitedly rushing to the passenger side and Uri took the opportunity to talk to Alistair.

"She told me about last night." He said calmly. Seeing the look on Alistair's face he made a shrugging motion. "After getting so mad for keeping things from her, she thought not telling me would just be hypocritical. It's not like anything happened though, right?" He turned and looked at Alistair expectantly.

* * *

Liam nodded. He had already thought as much. After all, his mother's killer was a part of one of these organizations.

"Well, I think we can find out. Can you bring up any personal files about Commander Lasbard's history? I have a hunch we can find his password in there and use it to get full access to the databanks."

------------

"No...of course not," Alistair replied, feeling a lead weight hit his stomach. Well, this was just peachy. Now everyone knew about his moment with Amara. How embarrassing. However, that feeling was immediately washed over by the annoyance that she was discussing his personal matters.

_"I know Uri's her best friend,"_ he thought. _"But still...it was private. She could have at least asked me first."_

_

* * *

_

"Good." Uri said nodding his head then sighed and added. "I won't lie, I really don't like this whole thing, but...I'm not the one you need to worry about. I think she actually trusts you, which is a big deal for her. I just hope you don't let her down." His voice carried no animosity or aggression, just a hint of worry and he took his turn to jump in the buggy taking up a seat next to a window and stuck his head out.

-------

"Personnel files, no. But..." She said giving Liam a sly smile, "I did find an article in the database if you want to take a look."

* * *

Alistair sighed and stared at the floor. He couldn't make heads or tails out of this situation. She had seemed really...interested in him that night. Now she was acting completely nonchalant about it like it really hadn't been anything important. But now Uri was implying that he had some kind of duty to look out for her feelings.

_"What do these people expect from me?"_ he thought with a groan.

----------

"An article?" Liam asked, scooting his chair closer to look at the screen. "What is it?"

* * *

Samora pulled up the article of Cynthia Norr and the Commander's engagement and then clicked over to her obituary. She showed Liam and frowned sadly.

"You know how he feels huh?" She asked grief coming up into her voice. "Me too. But I think it won't be too hard to figure out what his password could be."

-------

The drive was far better than walking, but it seemed really quiet. Arashi was sleeping, Uri was happy with his head out the window and Leah seemed content to just be getting out of North Corel. Amara had very little else to do but reflect on her dance with Alistair and every time she thought about it, her stomach t urned in knots. Several times, she caught herself sneaking looks at him and Leah eventually noticed.

"_What are you doing_?" Leah mouthed to her.

"_Nothing_." Amara mouthed back. Leah checked her mirror and arched an eyebrow at her.

"_Do you like him?_" She asked and Amara's eyes widened and she blushed as she turned her head away from her friend. _Oh, poor Ben. _"So Alistair, is this your first time to Costa del Sol?"

* * *

"My thoughts exactly," Liam replied. He had felt his heart turn to ice when Samora mentioned how he felt, but he that immediately changed to curiosity. The sadness in her voice was obvious. Had he somehow missed it? Had she lost someone too?

"Let's-" his voice faltered a moment, but he quickly regained it. "Let's see what we can find then."

------------

Alistair heard his name and looked up to see Leah glancing at him through the mirror. He gave a friendly smile.

"Yes, it is. I've been past this way to Edge when I was younger but we never stopped there. I hear it's quite a place."

* * *

"Yeah it's great." Leah grinned back at him, "I actually have a key to a villa there. If there isn't a ship to Junon right away, we can hang out there if you want."

"Cid gave you a key?" Amara asked dubiously.

"More or less." She beamed at Amara who rolled her eyes in return.

* * *

Alistair chuckled to himself at Leah's ingenuity and secretly hoped that there wouldn't be a ship there when they arrived.

_"Relaxing at Costa del Sol would be nice," _he thought with a contented smile as he closed his eyes to relax.

--------------

"FESTANCA..." Liam said as he read off the screen. "So they're the organization that assassinated Dr. Powers. Is the name ringing any bells then?" he asked Samora.

* * *

After two and a half hours driving, they arrived at Costa del Sol. They stopped at the harbor first to find out when the next ship was leaving for Junon. Apparently the earthquake had damaged the dock back in Junon and it was shut down, though they estimated that ships would be running again by tomorrow.

After hearing that, Leah drove them up to the villa.

"Well, first things first." She said hopping out of the buggy and unlocking the door. She stepped inside and looked around. "Hmm, everything looks fine. Try not to make a mess while you're here or my dad will kill me. Uri, there's air conditioning inside you should probably hang out here until dark."

"Oh thank god." Uri said already panting from the humidity. He made his way inside then collapsed in front of the air conditioner.

"Alright, make yourselves at home." Leah said plopping down onto the nearest sofa.

Amara walked out on the deck and looked out to the ocean. She watched the waves roll up on the shore, took a deep breath of the sea air and felt wonderfully relaxed and at peace_. Too bad Uri isn't able to enjoy it_. She looked back to see him passed out in front of the cool air and shook her head. Slowly her eyes drifted over to Alistair and she smiled to herself. _Well, maybe we can get some time alone again._

_------_

Samora stared at the name FESTANCA on the monitor and nodded to Liam.

"Yeah." She said to him, her eyebrows creased in a deep frown. "I've only heard rumors, but what I know for sure is that they're openly against RETABLIR."

* * *

Alistair couldn't help but smirk slightly at Uri's expense, thought that was short lived when he started to realize his own hatred of intense heat. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt to try to feel more relaxed when he saw Amara look back at him from the deck. It caught him by surprise, but he was even more surprised to find himself smiling automatically.

_"Strange...how she can make me do that,"_ he thought.

-----------------

Liam sighed to himself. He was going to take a pretty big step here, and he hoped that it wouldn't ruin things, but really, he couldn't let that man hurt Samora after she had been so nice to him.

"Samora," he started hesitantly, "how much do you trust Aeron?"

* * *

"Hey I have an idea!" Leah said jumping up from the sofa. "Let's get something to eat then we can go down to the beach."

"I didn't pack a swimsuit." Amara replied coming back inside from the deck.

"This is Costa del Sol, hun. We can buy some. Actually..." She looked at the present company and shook her head, "you guys should probably get some too, you'll be way more comfortable in them here."

"Hmm," Amara said looking over at Uri, "Will you be ok?"

"Uh-huh." Uri said weakly, "Just get me something to eat, please."

"That's settled then." Leah linked her arm around Amara's and drug her out the door then called back behind her, "Hey, Arashi. Ever gone surfing before?"

--------

_Aeron. I almost forgot about him. _Samora thought taken aback by Liam's question.

"I don't really know." She said then frowned. There was something in his tone that she didn't like. "Why do you ask?"

"Excuse me," Said a lady coming up to them, "I'm sorry, but the facility is temporarily off limits to the public. I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave."

"Oh!" Samora quickly closed out of everything she had been looking at and erased the history. _Not like that'll help much if they actually start looking. _"Yeah, we'll leave right now, thanks."

She got up piled all her printouts into her bag and steered Liam to the exit. As she was walking by security guards a thought occured to her. _Oh god, they saw my ID._

_

* * *

_

"Actually, I think I'm going to stay here with Uri," Alistair called after them, hardly believing his own words. Of course, Amara had already caught him bathing but he still didn't find the idea of swimming together...well, proper. Maybe this would gain some points in Uri's eyes too since he had inadvertently declined to seeing her in a bathing suit. Besides, he could always visit the beach at night.

----------

"What's wrong?" Liam whispered harshly, seeing the frantic look on her face. It couldn't have been that she left something behind. And he didn't think anyone had noticed their accessing of the system. At least not yet. But it's not like they would know...Wait. No. No no no.

"Samora, that ID. It...it wasn't real, was it?" he asked, his own mind becoming frantic.

* * *

Samora felt the blood drain from her face, but kept herself steady.

"Unfortunately yes." She whispered, her voice shaking slightly. Images of interogation rooms and detention cells filled her mind "I didn't really plan on hacking into the company database at the time."

_Probably the worst posible time ever! I just get into town, a reknowned scientist is murdered, her research stolen and I'm using someone else's security clearance to find out more about it. _She shuddered. _I'm screwed._

She looked at Liam and frowned. At least they still didn't know who he was. After they were some distance away from the building, she took him to a side alley to talk.

"Look, I...I think it's better if you go your own way for now." She told him seriously. "You should probably take this though." She passed him the bag with the reports she had printed out. "If they actually do try to track me down maybe I can convince them I was just curious about what was happening. Harder to do when I have all this in my possession, but I don't want to destroy it just yet."

She gave him a weak smile and shrugged. "Who knows, maybe nothing will happen. Be careful, ok? Hopefully, I'll be able to find you later."

She waved good bye to him and started on her way back to her hotel room.

----------

"You don't want to go out too?" Uri asked lifting his head to look at Alistair.

---------

"How about this one?" Amara asked holding up a cute one piece suit against her. Leah gave it one look and frowned.

"Amara, I love you but I refuse to be seen with you if you wear that." She snatched the suit away from her and put it back on the rack. After taking a moment to look, she pulled down a hot pink set with low rise boy shorts and a string bikini top and handed it to her. "Here, this is super cute."

"Then why don't you get it?" She asked eyeing the suit doubtfully.

"Two reasons." Leah said as she rummaged for a suit for herself. "One, pink looks better on you than me and two, your boobs are bigger than mine and that's the only size the top comes in."

"Wow." Amara blushed feeling suddenly very embarrassed.

"Oh I like this one." Leah took a blue bikini from the rack and pulled Amara to the registor. "I'm buying it for you so you have to wear it and that's that."

* * *

Liam stared down at the bag, unable to move.

_"Now what?" _he thought. If she got thrown in a detention center then he'd probably never get to find her again. There would go his would revenge plan. Besides, he didn't want to see her get put away for his idea.

_"What can I do?"_ he thought miserably.

--------------

Alistair smiled at the wolf-lion.

"The beach scene really isn't my thing," he said as he pulled out a book from his pack and opened it. He gave a slight shrug.

"I might stroll down there later to to sit on the beach and read. We'll see."

* * *

Uri laid his head back and partially closed his eyes so he could watch Alistair. _He's an interesting man._ Uri thought to himself. _I wonder how_ _many books he took with him?_

"What are you reading?" Uri asked after a long silence.

------

_This is depressing. _Samora thought as she walked back to her hotel. _I just hope Liam will be alright._

Clouds started rolling in over head, making things seem dark and dreary. While she was walking she passed by a phone booth and thought about Aeron again. She stopped and looked at the booth and thought about what Liam had said.

_I wonder what he was getting at._ She pulled the card out of her pocket and looked at Aeron's handwriting. It was quick and percise, surprisingly neat for a man. Suddenly, she had the urge to talk to someone and she didn't want to go back and risk finding Liam just yet. Slowly she walked over to the phone and dialed his number.

"Hello?" Came his smooth icy voice.

"Hi Aeron? This is Samora...."

* * *

"History of the Cetras," he replied without looking up. "They were a fascinating people. It's a tragedy that they all died out."

He silently thought of Amara and her mysterious reaction to the disturbance in the Lifestream.

_"I know she can't be a Cetra, but I wonder what her connection to the Planet is,"_ he thought.

------------

Liam's feet dragged him down the path toward his house automatically. His mind was working so furiously about his predicament that he was giving little thought to all else.

_"What am I going to do?"_ he thought, tugging at his hair. He suddenly stopped in the street, his mind suddenly put on hold.

"Samora...I never got to warn her about Aeron! She's probably going to turn to him. I've got to do something!"

* * *

At hearing his reply, Uri got to his feet and padded over to where Alistair sat.

"Yes, it is tragic." Uri agreed sadly. "Our people worked to cultivate the planet together, at one time."

* * *

"Is that so?" Alistair replied, tilting his book down enough to meet the wolf-lion's eyes. "I was unaware of your peoples' connection. It must have been fascinating to meet them."

His eyes drifted down to the pages as he silently pondered the Cetra.

_"I wonder...do the Cetra still influence the Planet even now, even after their extinction?"_

_--------------_

"They what?!" Elia screeched into the phone. A FESTANCA informer in the village had just called to tell her that the group had left on a ship.

"Damn it all!" she swore, resisting the urge to smash her phone. She was going to have to think.

_"All right...I know they left with some blond girl...and I saw some blond cowboy bitch (lol) and her twin walking into the inn before. So he must still be around here somewhere."_

She hurried from her lookout spot to try to find Ben. She snatched a sweater and skirt off a clothes line and threw them on over her close to appear more conspicuous and began her search. After about fifteen minutes she spotted a blond teenager working on some kind of machine. She drew up close and tapped him on the shoulder, smiling cutely at him when he turned around.

"Hi there," she said shyly.

* * *

It was midday and had gotten really warm and Ben decided to take a break. He had taken off his shirt and poured water over his head to cool down when the blond woman tapped him. She was about his age and very attractive, but there was something in her eyes that seemed off.

"Um hi." He said giving her a faint smile feeling uncertain about her, "Can I help you miss?"

-------

Samora sat on the curb staring down at her boots. _Hmm. I wonder if this is a good idea._

As the thought entered her mind a sleek black car pulled up beside her and Aeron stepped out. She smiled up at him and he helped her stand.

"I'm glad you called." He said his tone as steady as ever. "Is there something wrong?"

"Um...no, I just wanted some company."

"Alright. Where do you want to go?"

"Surprise me." She smiled brightly as she stepped into the car.

"Very well then." Aeron replied with a smirk. He got in the car and they drove away.

* * *

"Yes," she said, blushing innocently. "I was wondering what you were doing in there, getting all sweaty and dirty in there."

She rubbed a smudge of dirt on the end of his nose with the tip of her finger and giggled.

-----------

Liam's feet pounded up the pavement until her saw what he thought was Samora getting into a black car.

"No!"

He hurried but the car pealed away and he stopped short in the street.

"What do I do? He's probably going to kill her, just like he did my mother," he whispered. He pulled his Sylph Blades from his blazer and gripped them in his hands.

"Then I'll just have to get to him first."

* * *

Ben wrinkled his nose after she touched it and smiled awkwardly.

"Yeah, it gets pretty hot inside." He said rubbing the back of his neck then remembering his manners added. "I'm Ben by the way. What's your name?"

-------

Uri walked to the door leading out to the deck and looked out towards the ocean.

"This will be my first time leaving the continent." He said thougthfully, "I want to be able to find my place out there, to help the planet like my ancestors and the Cetra." He turned and looked back at Alistair bowing his head slightly. "I guess we have a lot in common when I think about it."

* * *

"My name's Illya," she replied, not wanting to use her real on the off-chance that the pack of brats had mentioned it. She held her hands behind her back and shuffled her feet shyly.

"So...are you out here all by yourself?" she asked. She blushed and looked away quickly. Damn, she was getting at this. Good thing too. She needed to find out where they went.

-------------

Alistair gave a genuine smile.

"You're right," he replied quietly. "I guess that's what brought us together in the first place."


	4. Chapter 4

Amara and Leah entered the villa carrying bags of goods with them. When Amara saw Alistair and Uri talking together calmly she smiled broadly at the two. _I was a little worried leaving them together, but they seem to be ok._

"Hi, we bought some food." She said setting the groceries down.

"Come on, let's get dressed and go." Leah said rushing back to the bedroom.

"Find something nice?" Uri asked going over to where Amara set the food. She pulled out a glazed ham and put it on a plate for him.

"Well...." Amara began feeling the blood rush to her face.

"Come on!" Leah interupted, "I wanna see how the suit looks!"

Amara shrugged and retreated back into the bedroom to change into her swimwear. Uri watched her walk away and frowned.

"Hmm." He said shaking his head. "I can only imagine what she made her get."

------

"Nice to meet you Illya." Ben said then realised his chest was bare and pulled his shirt on. "Um yeah actually I'm by myself right now. My sister gave some friends a ride earlier. What about you, traveling alone?"

------

Samora leaned back into the plush seats of Aeron's car and felt the tension in her shoulders recede. She glanced at him from the corner of her eye then looked at her hands setting in her lap.

"Thank you for picking me up." She said quietly.

"It's not a problem, trust me." Aeron said almost smiling.

"So, where are we going?" She asked peeking out the window.

"I thought you wanted to be surprised." Aeron arched an eyebrow at her.

"You're right." She nodded and leaned back into her seat again. "I guess keep it a surprise then."

* * *

"Is Leah always like this?" he asked Uri with a laugh. It seemed like the girl was a bit troublesome, although well meaning.

-------------

Perfect.

"Yeah, I just came into town a little while ago. So, you have a sister? Is she a pilot?" Elia asked. She sat down on a nearby crate, making sure her skirt was showing a good amount of leg to catch his interest. This was going beautifully.

------------

Adray got up from his place at the meeting table, along with the others in the room, when someone suddenly came into the room and whispered something into Director Cross's ear. Adray suddenly felt a knot in his stomach as Cross looked at him suspiciously. The others quickly filed out of the room, along with the messenger who had no wish to stick around, until it was only the two of them left.

"Is something the matter, sir?" Adray asked, his unease growing every moment.

* * *

Uri tipped his head to the side as he thought about Alistair's question.

"Yes, actually she is." He said finally then laughed. "Ever since she was a child. I think she's actually mellowed out too."

------

Ben watched Illya sit and eyed her leg a moment before realizing what she had asked. _Why would she come to the conclusion Leah's a pilot? Did I say something to make her think that?_

"Yeah actually, she is." He said carefully and gave her as charming a smile as he could. "So where did you come in from?"

------

Director Victor Cross silently stood from his desk and made his way over to Adray's side. He gazed at the man carefully trying to gauge his stress level.

"Aparently files reguarding Dr. Powers' assasination were accessed this morning using your security clearance." He said slow and deliberate. "Do you know anything about this?"

* * *

"That's quite scary," Alistair replied, still laughing. He was glad that Uri was becoming easier to talk to like before. He felt a sudden breeze from the ocean and felt a longing to enjoy the beautiful afternoon.

"Actually," he said, turning to Uri., "I think I am going to go to the beach. You can tell the others I went ahead."

He unbuttoned his red sweater vest and laid it to the side so no harm would come to it. Then he rolled his sleeves up to the elbows and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, loosening his string bow tie in the process.

_"You know, I don't look half bad this casual,"_ he thought. But he did love that sweater vest...He shook his head and grabbed his book before strolling out the door to find a nice place to read on the beach.

-------------

_"Ugh, I wanted quick answers, not a flirting session,"_ she thought with annoyance. She gave a quick, convincing giggle from his smile and leaned toward him.

"I came from out west...toward Nibelheim. I'm thinking of moving here, but I also here some areas on the eastern continent are nice. Have you been over that way?"

------------

Adray felt a flare of anger. He preferred not be an angry person, but he wouldn't take any slights on his honor after all that he'd done for RETABLIR and what it meant to him.

"Of course not," he replied shortly. "I've been in meetings with you all day. How could I access the Powers files?"

His mind briefly flashed back to the two kids he had let in earlier and he felt his stomach clench. No, it couldn't have been them. He wouldn't believe that.

* * *

"I realize you couldn't have done it personally, Adray." Cross said keeping his voice calm, "Can you think of anyone that may have been able to get your password?"

-----

Aeron opened the door for Samora and she gingerly stepped out and took a look around. They were on an old road in old Midgar she knew, but had no idea where.

"Used to be the highway to sector 5." Aeron said guessing what she was thinking. He pointed out to where Edge connected to Midgar. "Nice view of the city. Not many people know how to get up here."

"Wow." Samora looked out across the wrecked remains of Midgar and the new, though recently damaged, city of Edge. "How do you know about this place?"

"I used to live in Sector 5 when I was a kid." He shrugged briefly calling to mind his childhood.

"Really?" She asked surprised, "So you saw it then?"

"Yes."

-------

"I feel naked." Amara said looking at herself in the mirror. She turned this way and that checking how the swimsuit fit her curves and frowned.

"Oh come on," Leah said coming up beside her, "You look great. Now lets go!"

They walked out into the living room and Uri pried his attention away from the glazed ham long enough to look the girls over.

"You're going out in public like that?" He asked raising his eyebrows in surprise.

"Yep!" Leah said grinning widely, "Where are the boys?"

"Alistair decided to go out, he left a few minutes ago." Uri looked around then shook his head. "I'm not sure where Arashi got off to."

Amara gave Uri a quick pat on the head before Leah lead her out into the open air and down to the beach. It wasn't difficult to spot Alistair and they made their way toward him.

_Wow, _Amara thought noticing his change in attire forgetting for a moment what she was wearing, _He looks good._

_

* * *

_

Adray hesitated, his eyes locked onto Cross'. Did he really have sufficient reason to think it would be those two? Could he really subject them to interrogation when they could be completely innocent? But if they weren't...if they found out something important...the results could be devastating. But...they couldn't be with FESTANCA. Why would FESTANCA kill Powers and steal her files, then send in two kids to search through the RETABLIR databanks? It made no sense.

"No, sir," he replied. "However, I will look into the matter and give it my full attention."

-----------

Liam stopped to take a rest. He would never be able to catch up on time, not on foot. He looked over to see RETABIR's headquarters looming over the city.

"I could ask them for help...make them think Aeron kidnapped Samora and has the documents. It's risky but it might be worth it."

He started toward the building hesitantly, wondering if he was doing the right thing.

------------

Alistair heard someone's approach and looked up from his book to smile, when his eyes suddenly widened and a blush creeped across his face.

"Wh-what are you..." he coughed to stop his babbling flow of speech, then tried again.

"I see you're wearing your new...bathing suit," he replied, making sure not to let his eyes wander, a considerable task with what she was wearing.

* * *

Amara blushed at Alistair's reaction and shuffled her feet in the sand.

"Uh, yeah. Heheh." She said feeling embarrassed as she watched his eyes trying to stay focused.

"Hmm. Awkward." Leah said pursing her lips and raising her eyebrows. "I think I'll go for a swim. Catch you two later!"

As soon as Leah turned to leave, Amara took her beach towel and wrapped it securely around her and sat next to Alistair.

"Sorry if I made you uncomfortable." She said her face still matching the color of her bikini. She smiled at him and ran her fingers along his shirt collar. "This is a good look for you."

* * *

"You're too kind," he said softly, loving the way her fingers trailed across his collar. "And really, you don't need to apologize. It...surprised me, is all. It didn't seem like your style. You shouldn't be embarrassed though."

He could hardly tell her that she looked stunning in it, but he hoped she understood that it was merely his desire to stay gentlemanly that gave her a bad impression.

_"Leah's bluntless didn't help much either,"_ he thought with a tinge of annoyance.

* * *

"Thank you." Amara said brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. She looked out to where Leah was swimming and shook her head. "She's a little crazy, but you get used to her."

When she looked back at Alistair she was caught by his eyes again and had to force herself to look at her toes that she burrowed down into the sand. A smile crept unbidden to her face and she felt the blood rush to her cheeks.

_I feel a little...light headed._

"I...I think I'll dive in really quick too." She stood and dropped her towel to the ground. "Be right back."

------

Ben thought about herquestion a moment before answering.

"Yeah, I've traveled all over." He said, "Personally I think Kalm's a pretty nice place."

------

Samora and Aeron didn't stay very long on the bridge and were already heading back to Edge. She gazed out the window at the scenery as it passed by and sighed.

"Back to your hotel then?" Aeron asked glancing at her from the corner of his eye. She just nodded in return.

_How am I going to explain everything? _She thought trying to figure it all out without throwing up.

_Hmm, whatever happened earlier seems to be working in my favor. _Aeron thought going over the scene he saw between her and Liam that morning.

* * *

Alistair watched her go with a satisfied smile before running his gaze to his book.

_"Yes, I think coming to the beach was a good idea after all," _he thought with a chuckle.

------------

"You're such a world traveler," Elia replied flatteringly. "So what do you think about Edge? I hear it's a pretty impressive city. Have you been there? I'm sure you and your sister had to have seen it."

"Come on," Elia thought, her frustration mounting. The stupid boy was proving useless. But she just had to get it out of him.

-----------

Liam had almost reached the headquarters when he stopped short.

"She's all right," he whispered. He didn't know how he knew it or why, he just knew that she was. He needed to find her though. He decided to head for her hotel.

* * *

The water was cold and refreshing and it was just what Amara needed to clear her head. She felt her face cool down and she instantly relaxed.

"Glad you could join me." Leah said swimming up next to her and gave her a friendly splash. "So that was a pretty uncomfortable moment there."

"You have a knack for making it that much worse." Amara smirked and splashed her back.

"At least I'm honest about it." She winked at her then became serious. "Why didn't you let us know you were leaving the canyon?"

"I'm sorry." Amara said shaking her head. "It was just something I needed to do."

"Have you said anything to the others yet?" Leah asked frowning. When Amara didn't answer she shook her head and sighed. She looked back at Alistair then to Amara again. _Maybe this thing between them will be good for her. Too bad it'll break Ben's heart. _"I'm going to find Arashi and see if he wants to go surfing with me."

Amara watched her swim away and ran her hands over her wet hair. Leah's hint was frustrating, but she came to the conclusion that maybe she should let them in on why she was traveling. They had already been through a lot together, they had a right to know some of it at least. Slowly she waded out of the water and back to where Alistair was sitting. After wringing the water from her hair she sat next to him again and looked out over the ocean.

"Can I talk to you about something?" She asked not taking her eyes from the water.

---------

_There it is._ Ben thought after she mentioned Edge. He looked into her eyes and thought he could visibly see the cords about to snap. He kept his mindless boyish grin on his face to try to keep her unaware that he suspected something.

"Oh yeah," He said as casually as he could. "It's great there. A little big for my taste, though. I, uh..." he paused a moment studying her reaction. "I actually have some friends traveling out that way." He backed away from her and threw his thumb back behind him. "I need to get back to work. Maybe if you'd like we can get a bite to eat after I'm done."

_I better call Leah._

-------

"Thanks." Samora said to Aeron as he walked her to the entrance of the building. She bit down on her lip and turned to him. "Do you wanna hang out for a bit?"

"Hang out?" He repeated genuinely surprised. No one actually chose to spend time with him except for maybe Elia and it caught him off guard.

"Yeah..." She said a little unsure herself. _I'll just be freaking out otherwise._ "If you want."

Aeron slowly nodded going over how he should word this in his report and followed her up to her room. _Strange girl. _He thought with a smirk.

* * *

"Of course," Alistair replied, noticing that something was bothering her. "Is something the matter?"

His mind was racing with ideas as to what this could be about, but he stilled his thoughts and waited patiently for her to continue.

-------------

"Aww, okay," she replied, pouting. "Don't make me wait too long!"

She winked and waved as she turned and left the hanger. As soon as she was safely away, she gripped her hands into fists.

"Idiot," she snarled. "I just barely managed to get anything useful out of him. He's lucky I'm in a hurry or I would have loved to see that stupid face twisted into a mask of death."

The thought of that made her grin and she hurried to see if her contact could provide a ship. She had to get to Edge, and fast.

-------------

Adray left headquarters and ran a hand over his face. He needed to track down those two while the matter was still in his hands.

_"Samora Opar,"_ he thought. It was all he had to go on. He dialed his phone and waited for an answer.

"I need you to check all hotels in the area and see if a Samora Opar is staying at any of them."

* * *

Ben waited until she was out of sight before grabbing his phone and calling Leah. When it went over to voice mail he silently cursed. _The only time you don't keep it charged!_

"Leah!" He said urgently into the phone, "There was a blond woman here with pink eyes. I think she's one of FESTANCA after Amara and Uri and the rest. Tell them she's on her way to Edge."

He hung up and thought over what else he could do. More than likely she wouldn't prove to be too much of a threat to them together, but he couldn't risk anyone getting hurt. Especially not....

His fingers quickly dialed another number and he impatiently waited for the other line to pick up.

"Dad, I wanted to talk to you about maybe lifting Leah's punishment..."

--------

Amara took a moment to put the words together and let out a long sigh.

"Uri told you about how we met right?" She began slowly, "I don't remember anything before that day. It's been ten years and I always hoped that maybe my memories would come back, but they never have." She brought her knees up to her chest and hugged them to her. "It's been really hard going through life not knowing who I am or where I came from. I've had Uri there the whole time, but...."

It was difficult to speak a loud about it, she avoided it like the plague because of how it made her feel. She had to swallow back a lump in her throat before she could continue.

"I've always felt really alone. I don't know if I lost my family, if they lost me...if they didn't want me...I don't know who I was before I met Uri. That girl is lost...and I can't help but wonder who she was. That's why I'm out here now. I just want to know."

* * *

Alistair wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her arm consolingly with his gloved hand. The poor girl. At least he had known his parents loved him and had gotten to spend many years with them. She had never known hers, had no idea about her past. He could only imagine how difficult that was.

"I understand," he finally said in a soft voice. "And I'll do whatever I can to help you find that out. I promise."

He smiled at her gently and hoped that confiding in him meant than she trusted him as much as he trusted her.

* * *

Amara was lost in her sorrow for a moment and didn't realize right away that Alistair was holding her. When the realization sunk in she was surprised by how nice it felt. She wasn't uncomfortable in the least bit and even felt...safe.

She looked into his eyes and smiled warmly at him.

"Thank you." She said softly then pulled her wet hair over her shoulder opposite of him so his shirt wouldn't get too soaked and rested her head against his chest. "That means alot."

* * *

"I'm glad," he breathed as his body tingled all over from their intimate position. He smiled as he stared out over the ocean, not remembering the last time he felt this happy or content. He loved the way she snuggled up to him. It made him feel protective.

_"Maybe I finally have found someone to protect,"_ he thought. He looked down at her and felt his heart swell.

_"Yes. As long as she chooses to stay by me, I'll protect her with my own two hands."_

_

* * *

_

She sighed contentedly enjoying the moment then ran her hand over her arm until she touched the leather glove he always wore and gently placed her fingers over his knuckles.

_I wonder if he would mind...._ She thought as she started to tug at the glove. When there wasn't any resistance, she pulled it free, set it on her lap and then laced her fingers with his. His hand was warm and the touch sent a thirll of electricity through her body. She tilted her head up slightly to see if he liked it too.

* * *

Alistair blinked at her in surprise. He really hadn't expected her to take his glove off. It was like his second skin. But he couldn't really protest. The feeling of her skin made his hand tingle, and he gently rubbed the pad of his thumb along her hand. Just feeling his skin on hers gave him such a suprising jolt of excitement. She looked up at him expectantly, and her shy and curious expression made him smile.

_"If you only knew what you do to me,"_ he thought.

* * *

"...anyway...that's why I came to Edge." Samora said, finishing her story and then took a small drink of the vodka she got out of the mini bar. _They should really get better locks on those._ She thought with a giggle.

Aeron stared at her unsure of what to think about the whole situation. Obviously he had succeeded in earning her trust, but he never expected that she would consider him a possible friend. What he did know for sure is that something was really bothering her or she would not have invited him up with her.

* * *

Liam hid as he saw Adray's car pass by, heading away toward the hotel areas.

_"He must have found out where Samora is staying,"_ he thought. He hurried after it, trying to keep to the shadows.

"I hope she knows what she's doing," he mumbled, clutching the bag with their findings.

* * *

"So what's wrong?" Aeron finally asked when he was sure Samora was inebriated enough to talk.

"Oh," She said slightly slurring her words, "I did something really stupid....hey, you're really tall you know that?"

"Samora," He rubbed the bridge of his nose, frustration setting in. "what did you do?"

"Hmm...I shouldn't really say," She got up from her chair and not so gracefully sauntered over to the bed and plopped down. "But, I will say that I'm probably going to be in A LOT of trouble with RETABLIRrrr. Rrrr. Hehe, that feels funny on my tongue. What now? Oh yeah, lots of trouble. I'm probably going to end up in jail or something."

"What?" Aeron said doubtfully, but then he sensed someone coming up to their floor. He rushed over to Samora's side and shook her to attention. "What did you do?"

"This scientist lady died." Samora said coming to for a moment, "I wanted to find out why and I looked through the database, but I gave them my ID when I got to the building because they wouldn't let me and Liam in." _Liam. _Her head cleared slightly from the thought, _He still has the papers. I hope he's ok._

_Dammit. _Aeron thought standing and paced the room. He quickly assessed the situation. He could not be discovered by a RETABLIR agent and he couldn't let Samora be taken into custody. That would mean failing his assignment and that was not an option. He sensed the man approaching and pulled Samora to her feet.

"Get what you need quickly." He told her urgently and she nodded and started collecting her things.

* * *

Liam reached the hotel, but he saw the black car parked in front all ready. Getting to her first wasn't going to be an option. He could only hope that she would find some way to sneak out. He ran for the back alley, hoping to find some back way of getting inside. Maybe she would try to get out through there.

--------------

"Samora Opar?" Adray asked after he rapped his knuckles on the door. "Could I have a word with you?"

He noticed light coming from the bottom of the door, but no one was replying.

_"Strange.."_ he thought as he knocked again.

* * *

Aeron quickly put his hand over Samora's mouth when the knock came at the door. He forced her to look into his eyes and spoke in a low voice.

"Answer the door." He told her, "Invite him in. I AM NOT HERE. Understand?" He released her mouth only when she nodded. He slinked back and shut off one of the lamps in the room as she went forward to open the door.

"J-Just a minute." She stammered and looked back at Aeron thinking he'd duck into the bathroom, but there was nothing where he had been standing. _What the hell? _She thought considering she may have had too much to drink, but went ahead and opened the door. "Can I help you?"

* * *

"Hello, Ms. Opar. I believe we already met," Adray said, slightly raising an eyebrow at her inebriated demeanor. "Do you mind if I come in?"

The girl didn't seem to pose any kind of threat, but he still felt uneasy. He felt his silver fleuret at his hip and felt slightly more at ease. Hopefully this wouldn't take long and the whole matter could be cleared up.

------------

Liam pushed open the door and looked around. Apparently it led into the hotel's kitchen. He quickly crawled on his hands and knees behind a counter as one of the chiefs strolled by.

_"This is crazy,"_ he thought, the self-preservation instincts finally kicking in. _"I should just go. It won't do us any good for me to get caught too."_

He sighed and rubbed his face. No, he had to keep going. He wasn't sure why, but he knew he needed to. Maybe it was his mother's spirit guiding him down his path of revenge. He quickly gripped his hands into fists and wheeled around, checking to see if the coast was clear. He dashed out of the kitchen and into the restaurant, which was fortunately empty at the moment. He saw the elevators but made a split moment decision to take the stairs. He didn't want to get trapped in an elevator if things went wrong. He felt his Sylph Blades safely in his blazer and hurried up the carpeted stairs.

* * *

Aeron had melded in the with shadows of the darkened room and watched as Samora let the man step in. He had seen the file on him and recognized him immediately as Adray Lasbard. He didn't seem to have any intention of arresting Samora, or he would not have come alone.

"Wh-what is it?" Samora asked tilting to the side, still under the alcohol's influence. She tried to straighten up and push away her anxiety, but found that neither came easily. "Something wrong?"

* * *

"Yes," he replied, his eyes scanning the room. "Someone accessed RETABLIR's databanks today with my information from the same room I let you into. I highly doubt that FESTANCA would send a girl into the headquarters to read about files they already stole, so I need to know why you did it so I can clear this matter up. If you don't cooperate with me, RETABLIR is going to take the security breach into their own hands, and I'd rather not see that happen to you.

He looked at Samora and could tell that her nerves were on edge. It couldn't just be him though. He sensed clearly that someone was around but he couldn't see where anyone could hide. His eyes turned back to focus on her.

"Well, Ms. Opar?"

* * *

"Uhh." Samora tried to steady herself as her stomach churned and her heart constricted. She instictively sensed where she had placed her weapons and felt herself suddenly sober up. _Just tell him. He doesn't want to arrest you. _"I...I heard that Dr. Powers had died. I had read a lot of her research and...I wanted to know how she died."

Aeron watched the scene very carefully, moving ever so slowly to her side. _Dr. Powers is it? _He thought strangely amused by the irony. _You used Lasbard's clearance? How resourceful._

_

* * *

_

Adray was watching her very closely. She wasn't behaving normally. There was something else bothering him though...something was missing.

_"The boy,"_ he realized. _"The one who was supposedly her brother. Why isn't he here?"_

"Ms. Opar," he said slowly so as not to frighten her, "what is your interest in all of this? What were you so eager to find out at RETABLIR headquarters?"

He very carefully moved his eyes around the room. The boy definitely wasn't here. Something wasn't adding up at all.

-------------

Liam reached the first floor, then realized with a terrible shock that he had no idea where he was going. She could be on any floor in any number of rooms.

_"How am I going to find her?"_ he thought. He diddn't see much point in asking at the desk. He doubted they would give it to him and that would raise suspicions. No, there was nothing he could do. He sat down on the steps and rested his head in his hands. At least he could see the lobby discreetly from here. There was nothing to do but wait.

* * *

"I wanted answers." Samora said inching her way to her tantos and katana. _Don't be stupid. _She told herself. "I wanted to know what was happening to the planet and I figured whatever was taken from Dr. Powers held those answers." She paused a moment and thought about Liam. _What did he want to know for? _

"It was stupid and I didn't think it through." She said trying to put blame on her immaturity. It worked back at home and adults seemed to accept that reason often enough. "I'm sorry."

-------

Uri looked out at the two sitting side by side out on the beach. He had to concede to Amara's feelings for this man and he admitted that he did in fact like Alistair. Whatever might come of their relationship, he'd have no other choice but to watch it unfold and be there for her as he had always done.

He thought briefly about his future, years after they all had returned to the planet, and realised he would end up being the one left alone. The thought was sobering and he decided to make the most of the time they had together now.

_Though he'd still better keep his hands where I can see them._

--------

Ben had tried several times to get a hold of Leah, but his calls went straight to voice mail. He turned the rest of the repairs over to the tech crew and loaded his things into his motorcycle. He'd have to ride out to Costa del Sol where he knew his sister would still be and let her know himself. He just hoped that he could make it in enough time so they could beat the blond to Edge.

* * *

Adray sighed and shook his head.

"Yes, I'm afraid it was. I hope you realize that you're not a child anymore, Ms. Opar. Simple apologies aren't going to suffice for everything. I'm going to try to discuss the matter with the director, and I suggest you stay in the city until the matter has been cleared if you want to maintain a good light on yourself."

He turned to leave, and as he grabbed the door handle to leave, he turned and said, "I hope your brother hasn't gone too far. I would suggest you keep a closer eye on him if you don't want him to get into trouble."

With that, he turned and closed the door behind him.

_"How very troublesome,"_ he thought as he wiped his face before continuing down the hall.

----------------

"Damn it where's my ship!" Elia screamed, causing the FESTANCA contact to shrink back.

"It-it should be here a-any minute," he replied, wincing as she took a step forward.

"I want that ship here now or heads are going to roll!" she barked. He nodded frantically and nearly tripped over himself as he left the room to call to find out where the ship was. Elia sighed dramatically.

"You can't find good help these days."

* * *

Samora let out a long sigh as he closed the door. _That was too close. _She thought as the knot in her stomach slowly started to unravel. She quickly looked around the room trying to figure out where Aeron had disapeared to when suddenly he materialized beside her causing her to start in surprise.

"What the hell?" She said backing away from him. "What was that?"

Aeron paid her little attention as he went over to the windows and looked out to the street below.

"We need to get out of here." He told her scanning the cars below.

"But..." She tried to protest but he cut her off.

"That man is not the director and he cannot speak for him." Aeron said with an air of finality, "Even if you aren't detained, you'll be watched. Every where you go and everything you do they'll know. You obviously haven't killed anyone and they'll come to the same conclusion. Don't worry. We will stay in the city."

"We?" Samora asked feeling a little nauseous.

"He's probably still near by, we'll have to sneak out." He took her by the arm and, after checking the hall, led her out of her room. "We'll take the stairs."

* * *

Liam heard the elevator ping as it reached the ground level and watched as Adray got out and walked through the exit.

_"Without Samora,"_ he thought. He stood up and turned to look up the staircase. Did that mean she wasn't here? Or had she someone managed to avoid getting in trouble?

"Well in that case, there's no point in staying here," he thought. He looked toward the exit, feeling very confused, and started to walk.

* * *

They raced down the stairwell and Samora was beginning to feel terrible from the alcohol. Her head was spinning and the repetition of stair after stair round and round was starting to get to her.

Once they reached the first floor landing, they dodged out the side exit to the parking lot and Aeron stopped to check if anyone was around. The sudden stop sent Samora's stomach churning and she bent over and vomitted the contents from her stomach all over Aeron's pants.

"Ugh that's gross." She said hunched over wiping the corners of her mouth.

"Lovely." Aeron commented sarcastically with a frown creasing his features.

* * *

"Yeah it is," Liam replied, standing up. He had ducked behind a car when he heard the door burst open before and now was grimacing at Samora.

"What did you do to yourself?" he asked. He wondered if Adray hadn't taken her because he couldn't believe a crazy drunk could hack their computers. He tried to keep his face neutral as he had to stare yet again into the face of his mother's killer.

_"Soon,"_ he told himself, trying to keep his hands from shaking._ "Soon."_

_

* * *

_

Aeron held Samora's shoulder while she wretched and eyed the boy as he stepped forward. He looked down at the bag he was carrying and realized that she must have given whatever information they found to him so she wouldn't be caught with it.

"I...ack-ugh...had a little too much to drink." Samora replied trying to right herself. "I'm glad you're alright."

"We should get going." Aeron said angling her towards his car. He glanced at Liam and arched an eyebrow. "He mentioned you too. Better come with us."

* * *

_"That's an understatement,"_ Liam thought with an exasperated sigh. He watched Aeron take her to the car before telling him to come with them.

"How many times am I going to have to see this guy and pretend that nothing's wrong?" he thought with a twist of his stomach. These things took patience though. He'd get his chance soon enough.

"All right," he said with a nod and climbed into the backseat, idly wondering where this murderer was going to take them.

-------------

"I guess we'd better get back," Alistair whispered to Amara, hating to break up the moment. He retrieved his glove and put it on before standing and offering a hand to help her up.

_"There will be time later,"_ he told himself. _"No need to rush things."_

_

* * *

_

Though she was disappointed when Alistair pulled away from her, she knew he was right. She took his hand and rose to her feet then dusted off the sand that had dried on her legs. When she looked back up at him an etheral smile spread across her face making her eyes light up and she stepped toward him suddenly emboldened.

"Alistair..." She gently placed her hand on his face and moved in closer and closer.

"Amara!" Leah cried as she charged to where the two stood. "I got a message from Ben. Get ready, we're going to be leaving for Edge within the hour. I'll explain when we're all together. Hurry up."

* * *

Alistair blinked, as if waking up from a dream, at the sound of Leah's voice. Had...had Amara been about to-?

"We'd better go," he said before hurrying after Leah. Whatever was going on had to be serious, so there was no time to think about what was happening between the two of them.

"So what's going on?" he asked after they had regrouped at the villa.

------------

Elia jumped into the cockpit of her ship and prepared to launch. She had lost precious time getting it and was in a foul mood to say the least. She thrust the ship forward out of the hangar, not caring who or what was in the way, and felt a thump as she broke free from the interior. She idly wondered if the thump had been the contact and if she had proceeded to smash his brains on the pavement.

_"If he had brains,"_ she thought, deadpan. Then she suddenly burst out laughing and slapped her knee.

"Oh geez I crack myself up!"

* * *

"Apparently, Ben had a run in with a blond girl with pink eyes." Leah said as soon as they were all together in the villa. "He says she was asking weird questions and thinks she's on her way to Edge to cut you guys off. He's on his way right now and should be here within twenty minutes."

"The woman from FESTANCA." Amara said taking up her place next to Uri. "But the ships aren't running, how are we going to get to Edge?"

"Best part!" Leah grinned at her friend. "Ben got dad to give me back my flight clearance. I can use one of the choppers here. They're normally just for military use, but they'll make an exception for dad and he already called ahead."

"Ben did that for you?" Uri asked surprised.

"Well, I'll owe him one." Leah replied glancing at Amara, "But he didn't do it for me. Better get everything you need, I'm going down to the airbase to prep for takeoff."

* * *

"What was that supposed to mean?" Alistair wondered, looking from Leah to Amara. A creeping suspicion started to enter his thoughts but he quickly pushed it away. This wasn't the time to worry about such things. Still, when Ben arrived he could hardly help but scrutinize him more. What was he playing at?

-----------

"Oracle!" Silyl called. His eyes went vacant and he could see million of little sparks of light covering the Planey. He picked one and immediately it zoomed in closer until the next moment he was staring out into a flight hangar. His hosts eyes turned and he caught sight of the red-headed mage, the wolf-lion, the black-haired girl, and the narcoleptic boy.

"So they're taking a helicopter to Edge," he mused. He disconnected his mind and found himself standing back in INQUINA headquarters. He didn't like to have to lower himself to helping INQUINA's lower members but he grabbed a phone and called Elia.

"Good news," he said.

* * *

Leah jumped up into the cockpit and put her headphones on then checked the gauges and confirmed departure with the control tower.

"Everyone strap in!" She shouted to her passangers. Ben took up his position next to his sister and began the startup sequence. Amara looked at the two and smiled.

"They may get on each other's nerves," She said to Uri, "but they make a good team."

As the helicopter began to lift off the ground, Amara bit her lip and pressed herself back into the chair. It wasn't that she was worried they would crash, Leah was an amazing pilot, but this was only her third time flying and it still made her nervous. Uri seemed to mirror her concerns, his body had tensed and he was crouching low in his seat.

* * *

Alistair had flown many times with his family on their trips to edge, but certainly never in a helicopter and with someone younger than him piloting it.

_"Oh dear,"_ he thought as it lifted off, and he gripped the seat so tightly he thought the arm rests would break off. His face drooped as he realized this was going to be a long trip.

----------

"Where exactly are we going?" Liam asked Aeron. It made him uneasy enough to be around the man in public, much less in a car where he was driving them to anywhere he wanted.

_"I hope I don't regret this,"_ he thought.

* * *

Aeron regarded his passengers. Samora had passed out cold within three minutes and the boy looked so tense it appeared he would snap. Aeron would have attributed his behavior to the close run in with Lasbard, but he had acted this way from the moment they met. _He will be a problem._

"I'm taking you to my quarters for now." Aeron told the boy. "It's off the grid, no one will be able to track you two down there."

Once they pulled into the car port, Aeron lifted Samora up and took her inside. He showed Liam to a spare room and set Samora down on his bed. After that, he changed into some clean clothes and quickly typed up and sent his report to both FESTANCA and INQUINA. He would be interested in what the former had to say about his curernt situation.

* * *

_"What do I do? What do I do? What do I do!"_ Liam thought as he frantically paced the small room. Despite Commander Lasbard's lack of affirmative action, he was still convinced that RETABLIR would want their heads. That made their only ally an assassin from an enemy organization that just happened to be his mother's killer.

_"Crap,"_ he thought, sitting down on the bed. What a hopeless situation. If only the man didn't have Samora with him. Then he could just go and finish off the assassin.

_"Wishful thinking,"_ he sighed. Another sobering thought came to him._ "I don't even know this guy's fighting style or powers. I-I just remember...being afraid of the dark after Mom-"_

He shook his head and stood up, resuming his pacing. He needed to think. There had to be something he could do.

* * *

Aeron heard Liam pacing in his room and frowned. _What is he doing?_ He thought as he approached the door. He stood there a moment debating whether he should check on him or not when he heard Samora stirring in his own room.

"Oh god!" She moaned. "What happened? Where am I?"

"You had nine ounces of vodka in one sitting." Aeron told her dryly as he entered the room with a glass of water. Samora started and squinted at him. "You're in my apartment. You passed out on the way here."

"Oh...did I...puke on you?" She said slowly remembering events of the evening.

"Yes you did." He said setting the glass down on the side table. "Drink this and get some rest."

He left the room before she could say anything and listened as Liam continued to pace.

* * *

Liam finally stopped pacing and made up his mind.

_"I can't afford any mistakes or miscalculations. I have to know everything about this guy before I try to kill him. That means staying near him as often as possible till I learn all that I can."_

He wondered if Aeron had anything lying around or maybe a computer with someone information he could hack. He might as well make something out of this mess. He walked over to the door and opened it.

"Wha-!"

He jumped back from the door, pulling his Sylph Blades from his blazer, and assuming a battle position. As he stared at the man, he realized he may have jumped the gun. Still, he couldn't be too sure.

"What were you doing there?" he demanded, though his nervousness made it sound a little less imposing.

* * *

Aeron blinked at the boy and frowned. He looked like a trapped animal.

"Calm yourself boy." Aeron told him sternly. "I heard you and was..." _What would be a good term?_ "concerned."

------

After the initial takeoff, Amara relaxed considerably and tried to enjoy the changing scenery below. She had hoped to take it slower on her journey, but she supposed it was for the best that they were getting it over with. She glanced at Alistair from the corner of her eye and briefly reflected on her attempt to kiss him.

_What was I thinking? _She asked herself_. _He had seemed so eager to get away from her and she felt embarrassed for even trying. _I need to control myself better._

_

* * *

_

Concerned? For him? The irony made him almost made him want to laugh if the bile that felt like it was coming up his throat didn't force him to be sick first.

"You needn't be," he said, his tone frosty but considerably relaxed for how he felt inside. He lowered his Sylph Blades and tucked them into his blazer, wishing he hadn't let Aeron see his weapon before he'd had a chance to see his enemies.

"How is Samora doing?" he asked, trying to move the conversation to keep the man from analyzing him.

-------------

Alistair sighed, hating every minute in this flying metal deathtrap. He stopped his death-clutch on the am rests, hoping he hadn't left any permanent finger marks, and turned to look at the others. Somehow, beyond all reasoning, Arashi was sleeping away. Alistair had to wonder how he did that. He looked at Uri and saw that the wolf-lion was even worse off than he was.

"How are you holding up?" he asked Uri, seeing as how Amara didn't seem like she wanted to talk.

* * *

"Not so good." Uri told him shaking his head stiffly. "I'm ok in airships, but this is torture." He eyed Alistair's fingers that had turned white from gripping the armrests, "How about you?"

--------

"She's hung over." Aeron said flatly. He watched the boy carefully as he put his weapons away. "If you don't need anything, you should get some rest."

* * *

"I'm with you," he replied with a slightly shaky laugh. He wondered why of all things they had to get a chopper, especially since Elia would likely be flying something faster.

_"Just our luck,"_ he mused, thinking of the deranged blonde.

-------------

"Thanks for the advice," he replied, his tone saying the opposite. He turned his back to the man, hoping that would cause him to go away. He figured he wasn't going to have much choice but to try to rest, seeing as how the man was keeping tabs on him.

* * *

"We're coming into clear airspace." Ben said checking the readings on the console. "How about shifting into stage 2?"

"No can do." Leah replied not even bothering to look at her brother. "For emergencies only."

"At this rate, we're not going to make it ahead of her." He argued trying to stay calm.

"Shut the hell up." She said finally turning toward him, "Considering what their original plan was, they should be happy to be getting a free ride to Edge. I'm thankful for what you did, but I also know why you did it and I think you should reevaluate the whole thing."

"What do you mean?" Ben asked his eyebrows knitting together in a frown.

"Look, Amara is..." Leah started to say, but was interrupted by a proximity alert. She looked down at her radar and frowned. "Something's coming up on our six."

A shrill screech penetrated the hull and the helicopter shook from turbulance as the unidentified object passed over them and came into view. Leah and Ben simulateously took a sharp breath in as they recognized the creature.

"Dragon zombie." Ben breathed, "What the hell is it doing out here?"

"I'd consider this an emergency." Leah stated as she started flipping switches. Suddenly the dragon changed direction and began to circle back toward them. "Brace yourselves!" She called back to the others then gripped the cyclic stick (thank you wiki) and banked left dodging the head on collision.

Amara squeeled and clutched her armrests feeling her stomach lurch against the gforce as the chopper tilted sharply to the side. She watched as the dragon sped by the helicopter then exchanged a look of terror with Uri.

* * *

"God, holy God," Alistair mumbled, his face turning white as a sheet, his hands resuming their former death-grip on the armrest. What were they going to do?

_"What the hell is that thing doing here?"_ he wondered with horror. _"First Elia, now this!"_

-----------

Elia, however, would not be joining them. Silyl had already told her to go on to Edge. He would be dealing with this. It had been a brilliant idea to take control of a dragon zombie and direct it to them. Now he was simply content to use Oracle and see through it's eyes as the events unfolded.

"Now, finish them!" he cried, a grin of triumph splitting across his face.

* * *

The dragon recoiled and doubled back rushing up from underneath them. Leah pitched back and cut right to avoid the monster.

"We need to get the hell out of here before it casts anything or we're screwed." Leah stated as she worked the controls, her face showing only the slightest hint of stress.

"Can't you open fire?" Ben asked her as he called out the dragon's position.

"Negative." Leah replied as she suddenly pitched down. "Zero artillery."

"Wha-? Why the hell wouldn't they give us ammunition?"

"I'm just 19, Ben!" Leah said frustrated. "Why the hell do you think? I can initiate stage 2, but I'll need time to calibrate before I can engage."

"If it's for emergencies, why the hell doesn't it automatically calibrate?" He asked becoming irate as he unbuckled himself and raced back to the storage locker.

"God damn it!" Leah shouted back at him, "Stop asking stupid questions and cover me! Take it up with the engineers when we get out of this!"

He busted the lock that latched the locker closed and pulled out an M16 and quickly loaded the magazine and shoved an extra in his belt. After tightening everyone's restraints and harnessing himself to the chopper he opened the side door and took aim.

* * *

Silyl laughed wickedly as the dragon wheeled around and flew back toward the chopper and swiped at it with his tail.

_"Cast Shadow Flare, you foolish beast!" _Silyl thought, balling his fists. The chopper dropped down to avoid the dragon's swipe, confusing it slightly. It flew ahead and turned back again, raising a claw to slash at the helicopter.

"Why does the creature toy with it? Finish them off!" Silyl growled with frustration.

* * *

Ben saw the dragon's claw coming at them and opened fire. Bullets rained from the weapon and pierced through the dragon's arm causing it to shriek and fall away only to arch back and make for another attack.

"How's it coming up there?" He shouted up at Leah.

"Give me two more minutes!" She called back frantically trying to make adjustments and calibrations. Suddenly seeing the dragon weave for the prop she wretched on the stick and pulled to the left and pitched up. "Oh shit!"

As the dragon whipped around it slashed at Ben with its tail as he was shooting at it and caught him in the chest breaking his harness and knocking him out of the helicopter.

Amara seeing her friend falling, reacted instantly. In a fraction of a second she was out of her restraints and leaping out of the helicopter after Ben. Focusing her spirit on the special materia she carried, she called out as she fell to the earth.

"Phoenix!"

Blazing lights surrounded her then shot away and combined below forming the outline of a massive bird. It let out a deafening caw as it materialized and swooped up catching Ben and Amara on it's massive back then spiralled toward the dragon zombie.

* * *

"Amara!" Alistair yelled, running over to the exit. A sudden flash of red caused him to stumble back as Amara's phoenix summon flew upward and rattled the helicopter in its wake.

"Please be careful," he murmured.

--------------

"What?" Silyl gasped, his mouth falling open in shock. He certainly hadn't expected the girl to summon a creature in midair like that. It was time for drastic measures. Letting go of Oracle, he decided to activate his second Limit Break.

"Overshadow!"

He felt his consciousness completely leaving his body and entering the dragon zombie's. He laughed, causing the dragon to open its jaw in a horrific imitation of a grin.

_"Now you'll pay! Shadow Flare!"_

_

* * *

_

Arashi's head shot up as drool dripped from his mouth slightly.

"Ugh....what have i missed?" he asked in a slurred voice.

-------------------

"No!! More people must die!! Bozulma must be summoned as quickly as possible!!" Lau screamed at his assistant as he wrapped his hand around her throat.

"Please....Mr. Lau!" the assistant squealed. Lau smiled evilly as he took out a syringe that read C-G (Compressed Geostigma) and drove the needle into her neck. The assistant convulsed and fell to the ground trembling. Lau smiled wider.

"Now that you're infected, let's see if Bozulma will like your corpse!" Lau said as he took out his shotgun and pressed it against her forehead. "Goodbye." Lau said as he pulled the trigger, sending brains and blood spraying across the floor.

* * *

Alistair looked back at Arashi, his face one of completely annoyance and incredulity.

"What HAVEN'T you missed."

----------

Adray knocked on Director Cross' door, hoping that the man would see eye-to-eye with him about Samora's information break-in.

_"Let's hope it does, for all our sakes."_

_

* * *

_

Amara watched as the face of the dragon altered, becoming deranged as if it had become something or _someone_ else.

_This isn't right. _She thought willing the phoenix forward.

"Amara! It's casting!" Ben yelled and she realised he was right.

_Oh no. _She thought looking back at the helicopter feeling a strange calm settle over her. _It'll rip them apart. _She glanced at Ben who nodded understanding and they rode the summon between the others and the dragon zombie as it cast shadow flare. Amara squinted as the dark light filled the sky. _This is going to hurt._

_-------_

_"_AMARA!" Uri cried as he watched the flare envelope the phoenix and struggled furiously against his restraints, but was unable to move. He turned his attention to Alistair and roared at him. "HEAL IT NOW!"

* * *

"Fools," Silyl thought with a sneer. He willed the dragon zombie forward to finish off whatever was remaing.

-------------

Alistair gripped the still open door of the chopper and watched with horror as Amara and Ben were hit with shadow flare. His shock was so extreme that Uri's roar only barely shook him out of his daze.

_"But...my healing spells aren't very good.."_ he though with dismay. Still, he had to do what he could.

"Cure!" he called, aiming his hand at the phoenix.

* * *

Cross turned his back to Adray and gazed out his office window. Even though he had a high stress level job, he very seldom let it affect his mood, but when a close friend and colleague is killed and then that tragedy is closely followed up by a breach in security due to the negligence of one of his trusted associates, it was difficult to remain neutral.

"So," He began being careful to keep his voice level, "You are suggesting that we simply overlook this matter even though the young lady cleary broke the law and saw classified information?" He turned back to face him, his expression severe. "I hope this is your attempt at humor, because I cannot fathom how you could be serious."

--------

The Phoenix shrieked as the flare engulfed it and its riders leaving them wracked with pain. Amara felt her hold on the injured summon slipping and she fought with all her might to keep it from dissolving back into the lifestream. It was a shock when she felt their pain subside minutely, but it was enough to gain full control over her summon once again and she drove it into the dragon.

The ferocity of the attack caught the dragon off guard causing it to loose altitude and the giant bird used this to its advantage. Its talons latched into the rotting flesh and ripped away at its abdomen as it pulled it down into a death spin. Ben held tight to Amara as she pulled at the invisible reigns that tethered her to the creature. Being face to face with the dragon she saw something alien in its eyes and it sent a chill down her spine.

"You have thirty seconds to get your asses back in here!" Leah shouted into the com.

The phoenix tore away from the dragon, taking chunks of its chest with it and made a mad dash back to the helicopter. The dragon howled in rage and flapped its wing furiously as it pursued them. Ben checked over his shoulder only to find the dragon gaining on them.

"We're not going to make it." He told Amara tightening his hold on her waist. "I can get us up there. Kamikaze the son of a bitch!"

Amara nodded and released her hold of the phoenix as Ben used his dragoon jump to catapult them to the helicopter. The phoenix turned and plummeted back towards the dragon becoming a giant ball of fire as it fell and colided with the monster in a blinding explosion.

Ben's leap brought them just short of making it through the door forcing him to clutch the threshold for dear life and shove Amara in the rest of the way. He scrambled in himself as a shrill cry reached his ears and he shut the door behind him.

"Get ready everybody!" Leah called to them once the hatch was secure. "Engaging stage two in three...two...one!"

As soon as she hit the switch, the chopper's hull transformed turning it into a slender jetship. The rotary props ejected as the turbines fired up sending the craft hurtling forward at incredible speed leaving the maimed dragon behind.

* * *

Adray felt slightly ashamed, but he couldn't back down now.

"Sir, I understand completely how you feel. However, I'm positive that she has no connections to FESTANCA and was a foolishly curious youth. I understand that we cannot simply let her carry around confidential information but I don't think any extreme methods of interrogation or detainment will be necessary. We don't want to appear as though we're coming down on the common people."

He looked up at Cross, hoping that the Director would see his point. Otherwise, he was going to continue to fall out of favor.

-----------

Siyl felt his consciousness snap back with full force, knocking him off his feet and to the black marble floor. He kept his eyes shut and rubbed his forehead, trying to get used to the feel of his own body. Having his mind returned forcefully was an incredibly painful and disorienting experience.

"Impossible..." he murmured, staggering to his feet. Against all odds, they had managed to escape.

"Consider yourselves fortunate," he whispered. "_This_ time."

-----------

"Amara!" Alistair said, scooping her up in his arms. "Are you all right?"

He cast another cure spell, hoping that would help. She seemed to be without any serious injury, which helped relieve the knot in his stomach slightly. He looked around at the transformed airship and sighed.

_"Why in the hell couldn't we have done that in the first place?"_ he thought with a twinge of annoyance. _"Protocol be damned."_

_

* * *

_

"I agree." Cross said drawing his hands together behind his back. "That is why we're not going to use extreme methods. We are however, going to take the young lady and her accomplice into custody to find out exactly what they pulled out of the system and what they were intending on using it for. If they in fact have nothing to hide, they should be forthcoming. I'll give you until fourteen hundred hours tomorrow to bring them in. That is all commander."

Cross walked back to his desk, took a seat and turned his attention to the city recovery reports signalling the end of their conversation.

-------

"Get me out of this thing dammit!" Uri hollered thrashing about in his seat. Amara scrambled up to free him and he in turn pounced then forcefully pinned her to the floor and growled. "Don't you ever do that to me again!"

* * *

Adray opened his mouth, then quickly shut it. There was no point in further argument. After all, the director's arguments were rather valid. He gave a nod, said, "Yes, sir," then left the room.

_"I just hope for their own sake that those kids are still at that hotel,"_ he thought as he headed for his car.

----------

"Uri..." Alistair said as he took a step forward to try to break it up, but he felt someone place a hand on his shoulder to stop him.

* * *

Ben gave Alistair a warning look and shook his head.

"I can't loose you yet!" Uri yelled shaking and Amara smiled gently at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"They need a minute." Ben whispered to the young mage. "Hey...thanks for curing us out there."

* * *

Alistair blinked, then turned to face Ben.

"Wh- Oh, yes of course. I'm afraid my white magic isn't quite as good as my black magic but I'm glad I could be of assistance. I suppose really I should really be thanking you and Amara for getting rid of it."

He smiled and realized that it was foolish of him to have ever worried about Ben.

* * *

"Well, I was scared to death at the time." Ben said laughing weakly, "But it'll make for a great story one of these days."

"Ben!" Leah called back to him. "Get yer ass up here!"

He nodded to Alistair and noticing that Uri had backed off of Amara, knelt down and helped her to sit up.

"Thanks for coming after me." He said giving her a hug then kissed her forehead and took his place in the cockpit with Leah who punched him in the arm three times. "What is that for?!"

"I know how Uri feels!" Leah said irate, "I swear if you worry me like that again I'll kill you myself." She glared at him then turned back to the others. "ETA for Edge is thirty minutes."

* * *

Alistair frowned at Ben's actions.

_"So much for that."_

He walked over to Amara and gave an exhausted smile. "I would give you the whole deal of how worried I was, but I think you've gotten enough of that already."

------------

_"I wonder if we've been filed as criminals already,"_ Liam thought as he stared up at the celing. Despite any efforts on Commander Lasbard's part, he had a feeling Director Cross wasn't going to be so easy on them. They probably wouldn't be able to return to Edge.

_"Not that that worries me too much,"_ he thought with a frown. _"I've hated that city since Mom..."_

_

* * *

_

Amara returned Alistair's smile and shrugged.

"I told you I wouldn't give it a second thought." She said softly.

"Well," Uri said nuzzling up against her. "all things considered, that was pretty impressive."

"Thank you." She gave him another hug and ruffled his mane, "And at least I was able to learn shadow flare."

* * *

_"She learned shadow flare?"_ he thought, his eyes widening. He felt a slight pang of jealousy. As a powerful mage, he would have loved to add that to his arsenal.

"Well, you should probably rest now. We should be getting to Edge soon," he said. He knew he was probably babying her but he still helped her over to her seat before returning to his own.

_"I hope we won't be experiencing something like that again," _he thought. What a freak coincidence that a dragon zombie would follow them all the way out there.


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey Arashi." Amara said noticing him for the first time. "When did you wake up?"

Samora literally rolled out of bed and landed to the ground with a thud. She laid there a moment and attempted to get her barings.

"Oh my head!" She groaned

* * *

"A while after we were in a life and death situation," Alistair replied derisively.

Liam's eyes blinked open as he heard a thud and groan.

"Samora?" he mumbled, sitting up. He hoped that she wasn't in any trouble or anything.

* * *

Lau stood up and picked up his cellphone.

"Where the hell is Elia!? I ordered her to be here at exactly 3:00!" He shouted to the front desk.

_"I'm sorry sir, but you know how she is...she's probably with somebody."_

"That **BITCH**!" Lau yelled. "If she isn't here in the next three minutes, someone is going to get the brain shot so far down their throats that it'll take surgery to dislodge it! Call her **NOW**!" Lau yelled.

_"Yes sir!"_ the front desk people replied as they began to call Elia's cell...hoping and praying she answered and was on her way.

* * *

"What?!" Elia shouted into her phone as the secretary squaked on the other end. She rolled her eyes. Why did their leader have to have short term memory loss?

"Tell dumbass that he and the rest of the Triune ordered me to track the interferers. If he wants me to come there then he's going to have to shut his effing mouth and wait for me!"

The secretary gave a horrified squeak and said something back.

"No, obviously not in the words, you idiot!"

She hung up her phone, changed the flight coordinates, and started heading for INQUINA headquarters. Whatever it was had better be good.

* * *

Lau sat impatiently as he awaited the return call.

_"Sir....she is on a jet and on her way..."_ the secratary said.

"Good, you get an extra five minutes added on..." Lau said before hanging up his phone.

* * *

Elia growled angrily at having her mission pulled out from under her the way it was, especially by an enraged Lau who sent her on it in the first place. She finally set the ship down at headquarters and strolled inside.

"All right, where is he?" she with a tired and annoyed tone to the people at the front desk. She was barely able to make anything out from their frightened and hushed voices but she eventually got the drift. She finally found him and stood at the door, one hand on her hip.

"You asked for me?" she said, keeping her tone polite and respectful underneath her fury.

* * *

Lau stared at Elia angrily and cracked his large knuckles. "You've failed your tasks that I've given you. You've failed to infect those RETABLIR supporters with Geostigma and you didn't even kill them. What do you have to say for yourself?" Lau growled in a voice that rumbled like rolling thunder.

* * *

She blinked at him in surprise.

"You-you told me not engage them unless there was an absolute chance of victory. You said just to track them and report their locations. I've been reporting that information to Master Prelati. I was going to engage them in the air but he told me he would take care of it and told me to proceed to Edge for further orders."

"What she says is true," Silyl said, entering the room with a stiff nod to Lau.

* * *

"Hmph...._I_ didn't tell you to track them down and report their location....the _Triune_ did. I gave you specific orders to inject them with C-G and then to kill them quickly and violently as possible." Lau then turned to Silyl.

"As for you, you acted without my orders and I never gave you clearance to even particpate in battle against RETABLIR openly." Lau sat back in his chair and sighed.

* * *

Silyl sighed. This wasn't the first time that Lau's rage and anger got hold of his better reasoning.

"Yes, you did tell her that. However, after her and Vrede's initial failure to get rid of them, we of the Triune believed that more subtle approaches were necessary. You were not around and as the order of rank we had leave to make the decision. Furthermore, I did not openly engage RETABLIR. I infiltrated the mind of a dragon zombie and used it to attack them. They are still completely unaware of our existence. Please try to calm yourself, sir, and think rationally."

He looked up to see if Lau was going to interrupt, and proceeded when he didn't.

"I believe I have a plan to take down RETABLIR from the inside, with Miss Winter's help. Thanks to Aeron's reports I believe I have found one of their ranks that we can exploit to tear them from the inside out."

-------

Elia watched the two nervously until Silyl proposed his new plan.

_"A new mission? What now?"_

_

* * *

_

Lau slammed his fist down on the desk, smashing through it and nearly causing the marble floor under the desk to explode.

"I don't want your damn reports!! I want action! Those people are still alive and if we don't act quickly, they will have cleansed the Lifestream and cause Bozulma to never be summoned! Do you understand what the hell I'm saying?!" Lau roared. He then reached forward and Silyl and held him up in the air. "If the Triune makes another decision without me, I will kill every last one of you, do you understand me clearly?" he growled as he loosened his grip and let Silyl drop to the ground.

* * *

Silyl coughed slightly, clutching at his throat. He glared up at Lau venomously.

"You want action? Fine. Let me carry out my plan. With Elia's help I will overthrow RETABLIR without even needing to reveal our existance."

He hoped his boast would satiate Lau enough to allow him to continue his plans. Someone needed to look out of INQUINA's secrets. If Lau had his way they would just swarm out and attack everyone around. Silyl knew that they needed to be patient and cunning.

"Commander Adray Lasbard is an extremely high ranking official in RETABLIR. He is very loyal but he has an emotional weakness easily exploited. If Elia can exploit it properly, I should have no difficulty in seizing complete control of his mind. Once I do, I can sabotage RETABLIR from the inside and kill their officials before they even know what's happening. I will allow Elia to get inside and we will wipe out their resistance in the chaos and confusion."

* * *

Lau stared at Silyl apprehensively and then frowned. "Go on...you have exactly three hours. If you aren't back in three hours, the entire Triune dies..." Lau said simply. He was coldly serious...

* * *

"Sir," Silyl said, trying to remain calm, "My plan is entirely full-proof, but if you want good results then it will take time. Lasbard's weakness is loneliness. For Elia to truly gain that trust that will allow me to bend him to my will will take time. You forget that lesser people deal with these emotions and it takes some intricate machinations to take advantage of it."

He felt his frustration boiling. Lau's foolish, brutish methods were going to cost him dearly in manpower and effectiveness.

"Allow us a week at the least. He will grow suspicious if she tries to get too close to him in anything less than that and the whole plan will be for naught."


	6. Chapter 6

(From this point it will be copies from the email alerts instead of the actual posts. There may be gaps in the story due to that. I will signify them by a dash "-")

* * *

"Fine...one week...the sooner Bozulma is summoned, the sooner our goal will be complete." Lau said. The look Silyl gave him had certainitly been one of spite...maybe he should kill the Triune anyway...just for the fun of it. Lau laughed in his head...what a splendid idea...he may indeed do that.

"Dismissed..." Lau said.

* * *

Silyl gave another curt nod and led Elia out of the room and toward his own private chambers.

"Listen to me," he hissed urgently, "that brute will undermine all we've worked for if we do not work quickly. You must work quickly to gain Lasbard's trust, but do not rush or all your efforts will be undermined.

"Classic doubletalk," Elia thought with annoyance.

"So what am I supposed to do, seduce him?" she asked. She didn't mind flirting and making out but if Silyl thought she was going to be able to sleep with some guy without killing him first then he had another thing coming to him. Silyl looked both annoyed and somewhat disgusted.

"Not seduce him. Romance him. Gain his heart and you gain control," he replied. She nodded. Not like she had any other choice...

"Now go," he said, ushering her out of the room and toward her ship. With any luck, his plan would work and appease Lau's destructive tendencies, if only for a little.

* * *

Lau sat and smiled and began to walk towards the Triune meeting room.

* * *

Elia lifted her ship into the air and growled. She'd had to come back from Edge all the way here to get yelled at by the nutjob and given a job to be some desperate romantic.

"They could have at least saved me the trip," she growled as she took off toward Edge again.

"There's Edge," Alistair thought with relief as the city finally came into view down below.

* * *

Lau opened the do

* * *

or to the Triune meeting area and all the members peered over at him.

"Commander Lau...we weren't expecting you back..." one man said. Lau frowned.

"I'm sure you weren't. There are going to be changes made around here...like the coloring of the walls and floor." Lau said. The Triune members looked at him oddly.

"The...walls?" one asked.

"Yes, I believe white is much too bland...I like vibrant colors...like red...especially blood red." Lau said with a wicked smile. In two quick motions, he branded his shotguns and then fired through the skulls of two Triune members. He then fired again, killing two more and then unsheathed his sword and leapt into the air and like a giant spinning blade cut through the rest.

* * *

"Lau." Vigdis Eris said casually as she walked into the room. A tired amused look crossed her face as she studied his handiwork. "Killing the acolytes again? Did you forget to take your tranquilizer this morning?" Must have killed another assistant. She thought irritated. There is no way she would have neglected to remind him otherwise.

Once they had landed and disembarked from the helicopter, Leah went straight to the command center to file her paperwork which would be extensive due to the fact that she had activated a technical prototype without clearance and Ben went to contact their father to let him know they had arrived more or less safely leaving the others to their own devices.

"So what is your plan then?" Uri asked Alistair as Amara unloaded their things from the aircraft.

* * *

"I believe he must have at least missed a week's dosage," Silyl said, walking up next to her. "He was prepared to kill Elia for simply doing the mission we told her to. And he nearly turned on me as well."

Alistair shrugged. He didn't really have anything solid to go on.

"I was planning on visiting the headquarters and meeting my old friend Adray Lasbard. He's in charge of the securiy forces for RETABLIR. I'll see if he knows of anything I can do or if he can get me a meeting with Director Cross."

He watched Amara for a moment, then turned to Uri.

"What about the rest of you?" he asked.

* * *

"I see." Vigdis mused. "Please excuse us won't you Lau? I have matters to discuss with my associate. Feel free to continue your wanton destruction." She led Silyl out of the chamber and down to her private office. "I believe we've given our animal too much free reign. We must amend the situation before he completely undermines our entire operation."

"I'm not completely sure what our immediate plans are." Uri said to Alistair, "But eventually we'll make our way to sector 5 in Midgar. There's a place there she wants to visit."

Amara had finished unloading when Ben ran back to where she was standing.

"What did Cid say?" Amara asked as he approached.

"He's...um, glad we're alive." He replied chuckling, "He says we can stay a couple days, but after that we're back to repairs. Apparently Wutai was hit pretty hard and their communications network went out, so we'll be heading there next."

"Wutai too?" Amara asked surprised. "So our entire planet was shaken?"

"It looks that way." Ben said, then rubbed the back of his neck nervously, "Um, Amara? I wanted to thank you again for saving me back there. Let me make it up to you."

"You don't have to do that." She said chuckling, "What was I suppose to do, let you die?"

"I know." He said almost shyly, "But I want to. I'll give you a tour of the city. It'll be fun."

"Hmm." Amara thought it over a moment then shrugged, "Ok, why not? Sounds like fun."

It had taken great effort, but Samora was able to pick herself up off the floor and stumble her way to the bathroom where she almost screamed when she saw a hideous girl looking back at her in the mirror.

"I look like hell." She grumbled, then ran cold water over her face to help her wake up. Suddenly she remembered she had talked to Liam when her and Aeron were in the parking lot and was sure he had riden with them. Is he here then?

* * *

"I agree entirely," Silyl said with a nod. "He's out of control. He fails to notice that Bozulma has been in the Lifestream for a very long time. Bozulma is patient and cunning, and we must be the same."

He looked at Vigdis and his face became very serious.

"Vigdis, I've been forced to move ahead with my plan to take down RETABLIR, but I barely managed to negotiate a time limit with Lau that I don't think will work. Lasbard is weak, but he is very loyal. One week will not be enough to completely turn him to us. We need to make sure that Lau does not interfere until we are quite sure that the situation is under control."

"I see," replied Alistair, his face falling slightly. So they were planning on going on after all.

"Is this it then?" he thought. He felt his stomach tighten.

"I made a promise to protect her, but...that was only if she would stay with me. I guess there's nothing more I can do."

"It's...been a pleasure, Uri. I'm sorry things were rough for a while," he said with an apologetic smile.

Liam placed his ear to the wall but didn't hear any more noise. He frowned.

"Is she all right?" he wondered. He didn't want to attract Aeron's attention, but he couldn't just ignore it.

"Samora?" he called through the wall, just loud enough to catch her attention.

* * *

"Liam?" Samora said walking out of the bathroom and into the hall. She listened for a moment then entered the second bedroom. "There you are. Are you ok? You look a little...freaked out."

"Yes, I'm sorry for that too." Uri said lowering his head. "But I was thinking that since we're in Edge, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, I'd like to accompany you to RETABLIR."

Leah slammed the stack of paper work on the desk she was sure she'd be sitting at for the next few hours.

Geez-us this sucks! She sat and started with the first of the forms. I wonder what Arashi's doing later?

* * *

Liam, his true personality finally coming through, gave her a deadpan look (how else would you decribe this face? - -_-) and replied, "And the award for Miss Observant goes to..."

"Really?" Alistair said, a bit surprised. "Well, I would be honored if you would."

He smiled at the wolf-lion, truly grateful for the company.

Elia, idly wondering how much longer till she got to Edge, let her mind wander to her new task.

"Wait...those losers are probably in Edge already. I can't possibly get close to RETABLIR and that Adray guy while they're still around."

She remembered Lau's insane tantrum and hoped with with a gulp that Silyl and Vigdis would be able to buy her more time. In the meantime, she aimed her ship toward FESTANCA. She hadn't reported in there for a while.

* * *

Arashi yawned as he woke up, not knowing where in the blue hell he was. He stared around for a bit and stretched. Keep this sleeping up and i might get taller...or my fighting skills will rust to dust...heehee I made a rhyme! Arashi thought as he got up and grabbed his sword.

* * *

Amara looked at Arashi as he woke up and slowly shook her head as she smiled at him.

"Hey bright eyes." She said to him. "Were you cursed by a sleep spell or something when you were a kid?"

Samora frowned at Liam's reply.

"Look I'm sorry I got you into this." She said rubbing her forhead. "I'll...I'll figure something out. If all else fails, I'll just say I kidnapped you or something."

* * *

"That's not going to help much," Liam said, shaking his head. He was going to suggest they blame it on Aeron, but he didn't want to say anything if the man was around.

"Where is Aeron?" he asked.

* * *

"No...remember when I did that attack against the girl? Well this is just one of the side effects. I'm endlessly tired for the most part." Arashi said with a yawn. "Any food?"

* * *

"Not unless you find a restaurant," Alistair replied with a smirk, turning from Uri. "Though I'd be worried about you walking anywhere by yourself. You'd probably end up falling asleep in an alley somewhere and have people throwing spare change to you."

* * *

"Ha-ha, very funny. Make fun of the boy narcolepsy...don't make me talk about you, lover boy." Arashi said with a wicked smile as he got up and swirled his sword around and then dropped it into its sheath.

* * *

Alistair gave him a death glare. Of course it didn't matter much since, except for Ben, everyone else knew about him and Amara, which made him feel slightly nauseated.

"Anyway, Uri and I are going to visit RETABLIR headquarters now. What's everyone else going to do?" he asked.

* * *

Ben looked between Alistair and Arashi feeling left out of the loop, but decided he'd better not ask.

"You're going to RETABLIR?" Amara asked Uri who nodded in return. "Oh, ok."

"If you want to go along with them that's fine." Ben told her with a shrug. "I have to hang out here until Leah's done anyway. Oh speaking of which, Arashi, if you can stop in and say hi to her before you go anywhere she probably won't be in such a rotten mood by the time she's done with her paperwork. I'd really appriciate it."

* * *

Alistair felt awkward watching whatever was going on between Amara and Ben so he turned and called over his shoulder to the others.

"Whoever's coming to RETABLIR, we're leaving now."

He walked forward briskly, not looking back to see who was following.

* * *

"I'll call when she's done," Ben said to Amara giving her his PHS, "You should get yourself a phone one of these days. See ya later."

Amara waved back to him as she ran up to join Uri and Alistair.

"Hey, you ok?" She asked trying to keep up with Alistair's pace.

* * *

Alistair blinked in surprise and put on a convincing smile.

"Of course. I'm just eager to see Adray. It's been quite a while."

* * *

"Okay, I'll go say hi to your sister for you, but I don't know how that'll help anything." Arashi said as he walked out.

* * *

Ben smirked at Arashi's response then went to find the engineer crew so he could have a word with them about upgrading stage 2 to automatic calibration.

-

"You're awake." Aeron stating as he walked over to Samora and Liam then placed a pain killer in Samora's hand. "Take this, it'll help with the headache. There is food in the fridge. Help yourselves if you're hungry."

He left them alone and went to his room to call Elia.

"I heard Lau is on the ramgage again." He said when he heard her pick up.

-

"So this is RETABLIR?" Amara asked Alistair as they came to the entrance "It's not quite what I expected."

"What did you expect?" Uri asked studying the building as well.

"I don't know, something...else." She said holding her chin thoughtfully. "Since they're trying to restore the planet, I guess I figured they're headquarters would be a giant arboretum or something." She turned to Uri and shrugged. "This is just a really big building."


	7. Chapter 7

(From this point it will be copies from the email alerts instead of the actual posts. There may be gaps in the story due to that. I will signify them by a dash "-")

Adray sighed, wiping his face with his hand.

"They left after all," he thought as he walked up the steps to the headquarters. "What am I going to tell Cross?"

He entered the building when he saw three people standing in the middle of the lobby.

"I'm afraid the building isn't open to the public at this time," he said wearily. They turned and he noticed that one of them was a handsome man with shockingly red hair.

"Alistair?" he asked quietly. Alistair grinned and walked toward him.

"Adray! It's been quite a long time," Alistair replied, giving him a quick embrace. "How have you been doing?"

Adray shook his head and sighed.

"Things have been very difficult of late, but I am glad to see you," Adray replied, his face brightening. "But what brings you here?"

Alistair explained about the earthquake destroying his home and the assassin attack and how he met everyone, then introduced Amara and Uri.

"It's nice to meet you," Adray said, smiling. It really was good to see Alistair again. It had momentarily lifted his lingering sadness.

* * *

"The pleasure is all mine." Uri said bowing his head respectfully and Amara gave him a sweet smile. She noticed he had looked rather dejected when he first saw them and wondered what exactly happened for him to be so upset, but she was happy that Alistair and him were glad to see each other.

"So how do you two know each other?" Amara asked them.

-

Samora gave Liam a serious look. As she got herself a glass of water to take the pain killer, she thought about the day before. She was so tipsy and everything had happened so fast she didn't really have time to think about what was going on. The commander seemed like a good man, but Aeron was right. He couldn't speak for the director.

Still, She thought feeling guilty, what I did was idiotic and I should fess up to it, even if it means a detention cell. She cringed at the idea, but one look at Liam and she knew what she needed to do. I can't let him get in trouble.

"Wait here a minute." She told him then went to Aeron's bedroom and knocked on his door.

-

"I've spoken with Vigdis," Aeron told Elia. "She wants me to use the girl and boy to lure Lasbard away from RETABLIR. That should make it easier for you to make contact." He was interrupted by a knock at the door. "I'll keep in contact."

He hung up and opened the door.

"I need to go to RETABLIR." She said bluntly. "Will you take care of Liam while I'm gone?"

Aeron blinked at her in mild surprise. This is convenient.

"You realize what will happen." He said frowning.

"Yes." She said biting her lip, "I'm sorry you had to go through all this trouble, but...I need to take care of this."

"It is your decision." He spoke slowly and carefully. "But I advise you contact him first."

Samora nodded and turned back to Liam. "I will take care of this." She told him her tone indicating there was no arguing with her.

* * *

Adray smiled and nodded at Uri, then turned to answer Amara's question.

"Our parents were both heavily involved in RETABLIR," he explained. "They  
frequently met up and brought us along to various activities, so we became  
friends."

He turned to Alistair.

"What brings you here?" he asked.

"I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help. I wanted to become  
a more active member, like my parents were," Alistair replied. Adray nodded  
gravely.

"Yes, I understand. Let me take you to the director. It's his decision."

Adray turned and led them to the elevators. Hopefully Cross would be in a  
hospitable mood.

-

Liam opened his mouth to stop her, but she was already gone.

"Oh boy," he thought with a cringe. "What's she planning now?"

All he knew was that there was no way he was hanging around with his mother's killer by himself. He did want to kill this man but he couldn't afford to try until he was absolutely sure he was going to win. When she came back and told him her plan, he didn't argue.

"I agree, but I want to go with you," he said. "It was my idea anyway. We're...friends, right? So we'll stick together."

* * *

Samora smiled warmly at Liam and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

It's weird. She thought, Kinda feels like he is my brother.

"Alright." She said pulling away. "But I'll take the blame for everything. I don't want you getting into any trouble."

"I'll take you into the city." Aeron said coming up to the two. "It might be a good idea to ask him to meet you there."

-

Cross stood from his desk to welcome his visitors and was careful to keep his expression calm when he looked to Adray.

"Mr. Greyrose." He said to Alistair extending his hand, "It's a pleasure to see you again."

* * *

"Okay," Liam agreed, knowing it was the only way to get Samora to go along with things. He secretly hoped that although Aeron didn't seem to be putting up much of a fight that he was still interested enough to keep close to Samora. Liam wouldn't have much chance of finding and killing him otherwise.

-

"Likewise," Alistair said, smiling congenially shaking Cross' hand. Once everyone was settled, except Adray who remained standing, Alistair leaned forward toward the director.

"I wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help more actively in RETABLIR," Alistair began before explaining the events leading up to this point. Adray listened closely but suddenly felt his phone ring. He quietly stepped out of the room, relieved for an excuse.

"This is Commander Lasbard of RETABLIR military forces. Who is speaking?" he answered the phone, then almost felt his stomach lurch forward when he recognized the voice.

"Samora Opar?"

* * *

"Commander," Samora said after taking a deep breath, "I want to turn myself  
in. Can you meet me at the, uh...Cafe de Fleur in an hour? Please...I'm sorry  
I wasn't at the hotel, I just feel a little sick about everything and need  
some reassurance things are going to be ok." She looked at Liam and shrugged  
hoping that she sounded convincingly contrite. She was sincere, she just  
needed him to believe it too.

-

Amara and Uri politely kept to the back of the room while Alistair spoke with the director. There were some pictures on the wall that caught Amara's attention. One was of the director when he was younger, probably just a few years after meteor fall, standing at the memorial in Edge with a group of people. She smiled when she realized that a certain couple had to be  
Alistair's parents. The man had crimson hair just like him and the woman had his eyes. (lol, I'm assuming of course, you can edit any corrections if you want ;) )

So he was friends with them. She thought to herself. It shouldn't be too hard for Alistair to get an assignment then.

Her eyes slowly drifted to the others in the photo. She stopped on one face in particular, a woman with soft features and a warm smile. She wore glasses that were far too big for her face and a hat that covered her hair so the only thing she was able to see clearly was her mouth. There was something familiar about her smile, but she couldn't place where she had seen it before.

"That is a remarkable story." Cross said after Alistair had finished telling him their story. Amara broke her gaze from the photograph and turned her attention back to the director. "Of course there is always a need here and I'd be honored if you could help."

* * *

(What you did witth the picture was fine. :) I didn't really come up with any solid idea of their appearance anyway.)

Adray hung up after assuring Samora that he would meet her there.

"What a lucky break," he thought. Then added with a twinge of sympathy. "For me at least."

He hurried to the elevator, heading for his car. He'd make sure to apologize to Alistair later for having to step out so suddenly. Right now this had to be his top priority.

-

"It would be an equal honor for me," Alistair replied cordially. He did feel a slight amount of guilt though. A small part of him had been hoping that Cross would say no so that he would have no choice but to continue on with Amara...and the others, of course. But that was a moot point now. This was were he was going to be for the time being.

* * *

Arashi walked towards the area Leah was and knocked on the wall.

"Hey." he said.

* * *

Leah was busy on her thirteenth form when Arashi came by.

"What?" She said furious with the sudden interruption then, seeing that it was Arashi, calmed and beamed a smile at him. "Oh hey...sorry, just get a little frustrated with all this." She gestured to the piles of paper around her. "I'm glad you're awake. I don't think this'll take much longer, do you want to grab a bite to eat when I'm done?"

-

Cross stood from his desk and gestured for Alistair to accompany him.

"I'll have your first assignment ready in the morning." He said as he walked him to the door. "It sounds as though you could use a rest though. I'll have my assistant make the necessary lodging arrangements for you and your friends." He shifted his attention to Amara then and his smile wavered when she met his gaze. _Those eyes..._ "Victor Cross."

"Amara Eiliain." She said shaking hands with him. "And this is my friend Uri. It's nice to meet you director."

"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Eilain." He said forcing a smile. _It can't be. _"And you too as well master Uri. Alistair, I will meet with you again in the morning. Good day."

After they left he stood facing the door a moment trying to keep himself calm. "It's not possible." He said aloud shaking his head.

-

Samora sat inside Aeron's car chewing on her lip nervously. _This is the right thing to do._ She kept telling herself.

"Thank you again." She said to Aeron.

"I'll stay close." He assured her.

"Yeah." She looked at the clock then back at Liam. "It's almost time. You wanna get us a table?" When he left she turned back to Aeron and smiled weakly. "Umm, in case I don't see you again..." She quickly leaned in and planted her lips on his. When she pulled away his face was unreadable. "Thanks again. Bye."

She ducted out of the car feeling even worse than before, but she smiled thinking that she at least got a kiss in before she went to jail.


	8. Chapter 8

"I guess this is our last day together then," Alistair said once they were outside. "What do you guys want to do for the rest of the day?"

-

Liam tapped his fingers on the table, wondering when Commander Lasbard was going to show up. He didn't know how many more flip flops his stomach could do.

"There he is," he told Samora, who had rejoined him by now. Adray entered the door, spied them, and approached their table.

"It's good to see you again," he told them with a small smile.

* * *

Amara frowned at Alistair. She hadn't really thought about them parting ways since the inn after they first met. She felt her stomach turn in knots as she thought about it.

"I suppose we should get something to eat." Uri offered seeing that Amara had nothing to say in reply.

-

"Hi Commander." Samora said trying her best to smile at him. "Thank you for coming. So...what did the director say?"

* * *

Alistair nodded and tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"We could go to Cafe de Fleur. My parents took me there and I grew to love it. I think you'll really like it."

-

Adray gave an apologetic look.

"I'm afraid he doesn't quite share my views. He's not prepared to throw you in a detention facility, but he does want to speak to both of you to learn the extent of the breach. I'm sure if you cooperate then things will go smoothly."

Liam looked nervously from Adray to Samora. Hopefully Adray's words would prove true enough.

* * *

Samora's stomach twisted. _I'm really tired of feeling like this._ She thought chewing her lip raw.

"I guess that's better than what I thought was going to happen." She told Adray. "What...what is he like?"

-

"That sounds great." Amara said a smile returning to her face. She felt the phone on her hip vibrate and she answered it. "Oh hey. She's done already? Um, actually we're heading over to, what was it? Cafe de Fleur. Alright, we'll see you there." She hung up and turned to the others. "That was Ben. Him and the others are going to meet us at the cafe."

* * *

Adray gave a warm chuckle at her question.

"He's like that strict principal who everyone likes but knows to tow the line with," he said lightly. His face grew more serious when he added. "He is very dedicated to RETABLIR and its well-being. Just make sure that you cooperate and don't show yourselves as threats and I'm sure you'll find him polite enough."

-

"All right. Let's get going then," he replied. He felt annoyed. He'd wanted to just spend it with the two of them since he felt the most kinship with them but he figured there was no helping that now. He led the way to Cafe de Fleur, hoping that their last meal together would be a pleasant one."

-

"Aeron?" Elia asked once he picked up the phone. "What's the sitch? I had to hide my ship away from town to make sure I didn't draw attention. I'm hiding out now till I know it's safe. How are things on your end?"

* * *

"Samora and the boy are at the cafe with him now." Aeron said to Elia. "You should have an opening...wait." He hesitated when he saw a wolf-lion walking up the street towards the cafe followed by a brunette and a redhaired man. They were joined by three others and entered the cafe together. "Un-***ing-believable. Elia, hold your position."

What are the odds? He thought in complete disbelief. He knew they would eventually find each other, but he hadn't expected it so soon. He quickly weighed his options of what should be his next course of action. Somehow he had to make it so Elia would be able to make contact with Lasbard.

"God damn it." He said slipping his shades on and stepping out of the car. He ran his fingers through his hair and then crossed the street to the cafe.

* * *

"What was that all about?" Elia wondered, hanging up her phone. Not that she was complaining. It's not like she was exactly looking forward to this.

-

"There it is," Alistair said, smiling at the sight of the cafe that brought back so many memories. He was glad that he would be able to share it again with new people. He hurried ahead of his companions, a child-like excitement welling up in him. He turned back toward them and smiled cheerfully.

"Hurry up!" he said with a laugh.

* * *

Aeron took up a seat at the bar tuning his back to everone as they walked in the resturant. Samora and Liam hadn't seen him walk in and he wanted to keep it that way for the time being. He orderd an iced tea and listened carefully as events unfolded.

-

Amara laughed as Alistair lit up and rushed to his side. She hoped they would eventually be able to talk alone again before they went their seperate ways.

Tonight then. She decided.

-

"Oh, I see." Samora said then took a sip from her soda. She gave Liam a look then back to Adray. "Is it ok if we eat something first? I think my stomach has settled enough for that now."

* * *

"Of course," Adray replied. "My treat."

He wasn't sure why he was going so out of his way for these two, but he was single and made enough money to spare from his job so it wasn't much of an issue. He had to wonder if it was that he and Cynthia had talked and been excited about raising a family and that these two brought out the part in him that always wanted to be a father.

-

Alistair walked into the cafe to find a place to sit, wondering if the others had arrived yet or not. He turned and saw Adray sitting with a young woman around Amara's age and a young boy.

"Adray?" he asked, approaching him. "Is this where you ran off to?"

Adray turned and blinked in surprise at seeing Alistair.

"Done with the director so soon?" he asked. "I'm sorry about running out like that but I had to rush out to meet with my two guests here. Alistair, this is Samora Opar and...?"

"Liam Bennet," Liam replied. His eyes suddenly flew open in shock as he realized that he had given out his true name instead of his false identity as Samora's brother. He saw Adray give a sharp, questioning look, but didn't say anything, probably waiting till they were alone again to address it.

"A pleasure," Alistair replied with a courteous smile and nod.

* * *

Samora almost choked on her soda when Liam gave out his real name. She glanced at Adray hoping that he might not have caught it, but he did.

"Nice to meet you." Samora said smiling up at the handsome redhead. Her eyes trailed off to a large lionlike animal coming up to the table and she gasped. He was followed by a beautiful brunette and they made their way over to Alistair's side and introduced themselves. Samora was shocked when Uri spoke, but got over it quickly enough.

Their group was joined by three others, a girl, her brother and a boy who looked like he was going to fall asleep at any moment.

This is bizarre. She thought looking over the six of them. At least I don't feel like I'm going to throw up anymore. And if it keeps me from getting my ** chewed for a couple more hours, then I'm all for it!

-

Aeron watched the precession and shook his head. The easiest thing to do would be to bomb the building since all of them were together under one roof, but that wasn't what his orders were and Elia still had to complete her mission. Siryl would have to use Lasbard to undermine RETABLIR and he couldn't do that if he was dead.

* * *

"How strange," Alistair thought when they were all seated together. "It feels like a big reunion among friends. Some of these people I've just met, others I've known for less than a day, and yet I feel like we've all been friends for years. Strange how these things work."

-

Liam, on the other hand, felt himself retreating into a shell that Samora had barely managed to get him to poke his head out of. He had never really had friends, not for as long as he could remember, and having all these people together like on big party was something he wasn't entirely comfortable with. He just hoped they could finish this and be done with it all so he could get back to his true purpose.

-

Elia sighed as she waited around for Aeron to call. Finally she picked up her phone and dialed it.

"Dammit, Aeron, what's the hold up?"

* * *

"Elia." Aeron said glancing over at the party of nine taking up a corner of  
the cafe. "They are all here. All of them."

-

"So Amara," Ben said discretely as he could since Uri was sitting between them, "about that tour..."

"Oh, yeah." Amara said almost forgetting about it."Can we do it tomorrow? I haven't really gotten much rest." She felt guilty for breaking their plans, but she wanted to be alone with Alistair before he got his first assignment and she figured tonight was her best chance for that.

"Oh sure. No problem." Ben said trying to hide his disappointment. He leaned back against his chair and turned his attention to his food.

"So Amara," Samora said leaning up against the table, "that's a really cool tattoo. Where did you get it?"

"Hmm? Oh." Amara said turning her attention to the other redhead at the table, "I don't really know. I've had it since I can remember. Some tattoo artists took a look at it and said there wasn't any ink used, it's like my skin pigmented just right to make the design."

"Really?" Samora said raising her eyebrows. "That's weird."

* * *

"What!" she squaked into the receiver. "Are you kidding me? Well how are we going to make sure that Lasbard leaves the place alone?"

-

"What's with the narcoleptic?" Liam asked as he watched Arashi. Alistair laughed.

"We've been with him for a while now and your guess is still as good as mine."

Liam nodded and turned his attention around the table. He smiled when he saw Uri and leaned to look closer.

"Cool, you're a wolf-lion? I've never seen one before."

* * *

"I get that alot." Uri said to the boy with a smile. "I have a hunch we'll be seeing each other more often." He glanced around the table at his new friends and shook his head. That seems to be how it works these days. "Maybe one of these days you can come to Cosmo Canyon and meet some more like me."

-

"I'll see what I can do." Aeron said into the phone before closing it. This will be awkward. He got up and made his way to where the others sat. When Samora saw him her jaw dropped but he shook his head, walked up to her and kissed her gently. "Samora, there you are. Who are your friends?"

* * *

"Wow, really?" he said, then seemed to realize that he was getting giddy like a child would and gave a slight cought.

"That would be nice," he said in a much more collected voice. He was about to say something more when he saw Aeron approaching them. He felt the color draining from his face, until Aeron actually KISSED Samora. Liam felt like his jaw simply dropped away from his face.

"No. Way."

* * *

Samora was so caught off guard by the kiss, it took her a moment to realize Aeron had asked her anything. She made the introductions around the table trying hard to remember every ones names.

"Pleasure to meet you all." Aeron said politely but his voice still icy, "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all." Leah said making a quick glance around the table to make sure it was alright. She exchanged a quick look with Ben gesturing to her eye discretely and he nodded. They had seen enough geostigma sufferers to know what had happened and their exchange did not go unnoticed by Uri who felt a cold knot growing in his stomach at the sight of this man.

There is something wrong with him. He thought feeling his body tense. Amara sensed him go rigid and gently ran a hand over his shoulder to relax him.

"So what are you doing here?" Aeron said to Samora who was still a little flushed.

"I uh...I had that meeting at RETABLIR, remember?" Or am I in some kind of alternate reality now?

"It's already getting late, though." He said trying to sound concerned. "Do you have to do that tonight?"

* * *

Adray raised an eyebrow at this man's blatant disregard for protocol. He looked over at Alistair, who exchanged a look of equal questioning.

"Something's...odd," Alistair thought.

"I'm afraid it's quite necessary," Adray said, thinking he needed to interject.

-

At this point Liam wasn't even trying to hide his confusion. He had managed to get his jaw back in its proper position but was still watching this "new" Aeron acting like a concerned friend or significant other.

"Just what is he playing at?" he thought, completely bewildered.

* * *

Aeron studied Adray a moment before turning back to Samora.

"What did you say you were meeting them for again?" He said in a low voice, just loud enough so Adray would be able to hear.

"I, uh..." Samora said trying to guess what he was doing. "I think it's better you don't know." She said finally.

* * *

Adray was puzzled by Aeron's attitude. He hadn't seen him with Liam or Samora in all their time in Edge. He could have missed it somehow but something still seemed off.

-

Liam looked at Samora, who looked like she might be figuring out what was going on. He felt completely out of the loop so he decided to keep his ears tuned in to them, which wasn't too hard since Aeron had seemed to draw everyone's attention, to make sure he would stick with Samora.

* * *

Amara, feeling the general mood around the table darken significantly, decided to try and lighten things up.

"So Aeron," She said shrinking back slightly when he turned his blackened eye toward her, "How did you guys meet?"

"A gang of looters tried to mug her," He said nonchalantly, "I saw them and came to help."

"Help me?" Samora said cutting into the conversation, "He came out of nowhere and cut down most of them before I could blink. The rest of them ran away. I didnt get to do anything."

"I'm just glad I was there." He said causing her to blush slightly.

What the hell is going on? Samora thought looking away from him and down to where Liam was sitting.

"Hey," She said breaking away from the conversation between Aeron and Amara, "How's your food?"

* * *

"How the heck do you expect me to even think of eating?" he whispered harshly though quietly enough that the others couldn't here. "Just what is going on here?"

He looked over at Aeron and saw the blackened eye. He felt his blood boiling at the site of it, so he turned his face away quickly. He felt a headache coming on and was desperate to leave. What a huge mess.

-

Alistair was starting to feel very uncomfortable. Something in that atmosphere had changed and it was making things very unpleasant. He sighed as he picked at his food and watched Aeron discreetly out of the corner of his eye.

"That man...why does he give me such a bad feeling?"

* * *

Samora sighed and rolled her eyes. This isn't going well. She thought taking another bite of her food. Maybe it'd be better if we just got this over with.

* * *

Cross checked the clock on his wall then paged his assistant.

"Mei," He spoke into the intercom, "have you heard anything from Commander  
Lasbard?"

"No, sir." Came her reply, "Not since this afternoon."

"Please, get him on the line for me."

* * *

Adray felt his phone and stood up from the table to go outside. As soon as he  
was out, he answered his phone.

"Yes, this is Lasbard."

* * *

"-" (I do sort of remember this post. Aeron steps away from the table for a moment to contact Elia since Adray left the table. Samora follows him to find out what the heck he was doing and while they are gone Ben and Leah explain that Aeron had a serious case of geostigma that relapsed causing his eye to become black.)

* * *

"Yes, sir," Adray replied. "I'm with them now. I'll be bringing them to headquarters shortly."

-

Liam listened to Ben and Leah's exchange with interest.

"So he was a geostigma victim then. Strange that he should end up on the side against the people trying to prevent it."

-

Elia looked at her reflection in her compact mirror. The blue eyes looking back at her seemed foreign.

"Hmm...I still prefer pink, but this isn't so bad."

She closed the mirror and put it away, then peered around at the cafe entrance. Lasbard was by himself outside, and Elia wondered if Aeron had given her the opportunity she needed, it was just dumb luck, or if she was jumping the gun.

"Hmm...what should I do?"

* * *

Before he sat down, Aeron sent a quick message to Elia.

/He's alone. Move now./

-

"Good. I'll be waiting." Cross said hanging up. He leaned back in his chair and thought again about Amara. Seeing her had been a shock, but he couldn't be sure she was who he thought she. She had not recognized him, but that didn't mean anything. He would need to arrange to spend more tiime with her.

"Mei. Clear my appointments tomorrow morning."

-

Amara nudged Alistair's arm and flashed a smile at him.

"This place is great." She told him, "Thank you for bringing us here."

* * *

Elia nodded upon seeing the message and strode out into the street. She purposely knocked into Adray and fell to the ground, wincing and holding her ankle.

"I'm so sorry, miss," he said, stopping down to help her up.

"That's all right," she said, taking his hand. When he had helped stand her up, she gave a little cry and stumbled against him. He caught her and held her up, blushing slightly as she he realized their close proximity.

"I'm sorry," she replied, looking flustered. "I think I hurt my ankle."

Adray feeling responsible, realized he would have to take her to get it looked at.

"Let me take you to a doctor to make sure you're all right," he insisted. She played with one of her pigtails and looked sufficiently shy.

"Well, I guess that's okay. Thank you."

He nodded and sent a message to Alistair, asking if he could take Samora and Liam to hadquarters for him since he needed to help this girl.

"Let's go then," he said, and she nodded and held onto his arm, making sure to hobble convincingly.

-

Alistair was pleased that Amara was paying attention to him again and smiled.

"I'm glad you like it. I was hoping you would."

He felt his phone vibrate but couldn't break his gaze away from hers.


	9. Chapter 9

Aeron leaned back and looked out the window as Lasbard walked away with Elia. Poor bastard doesn't stand a chance. He thought with a small smirk.

-

"Do you think we can talk later tonight?" Amara whispered to Alistair. Uri's attention shifted from Aeron to Amara and he cleared his throat to let her know he heard. She rolled her eyes then looked back at him and gave him a reassuring smile.

"So Ben!" Leah said trying to distract him. "Did you talk to those engineer ** about the upgrade yet?"

* * *

"Here we go," Adray said, leading her into a doctor's clinic. Elia smirked to herself as Adray went to speak with the doctor. This was going easier than she thought.

"The doctor's going to look at it," Adray said when he came back to her. "I need to make a quick call but I'll be right back in."

Elia watched him go, then strolled up to the doctor, who looked surprised that she was walking fine.

"Play along and you'll be rewarded well," she whispered. "Otherwise..."

He nodded and gulped slightly.

"Perfect."

-

"Of course," he whispered back softly. He felt his heart quickening, wondering what she could want. A last night together was all he could hope for before they all left. The thought cheered him greatly. He felt his phone vibrating once more and looked at it.

"Adray?" he asked, answering it.

"Alistair, I had to take a girl to the doctor. I was wondering if you could take Samora and Liam with you to headquarters. I'm very sorry to impose this on you but I'm indirectly responsible for this girl's injury so I feel obligated."

"Of course," Alistair replied, wondering how Adray kept running around like this. He wondered if this was a new occurrence or if Adray had changed since the last time they met.

"Thank you. I'll see you back there soon."

Alistair hung up and looked at Adray's seat. He wasn't sure why, but he suddenly felt concerned for Adray's safety.

"I hope he knows what he's doing," Alistair thought.

* * *

Samora listened to Alistairs phone conversation then gave Liam a look and shrugged.

"Was that Commander Lasbard?" She asked Alistair as soon as he hung up. "Where did he go?"

* * *

Alistair looked at Samora.

"He was taking a call and bumped into a girl. Apparently she hurt herself so he took her to a doctor. I'll be taking you back to RETABLIR headquarters then."

He looked around the table and asked, "Is everyone done?"

-

"I think she should be all right now," the doctor said, wrapping Elia's ankle. Adray nodded and helped her stand up. Once they had gotten outside, she turned to him and looked into his eyes.

"Thank you for your help. Most men I know wouldn't have stopped to help me like that."

"It was the least I could do," he mumbled. She turned her head away.

"Do...do you want to get dinner or something tonight? I would like to do something for my Knight in Shining Armor."

Adray felt his face flush slightly. This girl had to be quite a few years younger than him. Could she really be asking him out?

"It's...really not necessary," he insisted. She looked disappointed and shuffled her feet awkwardly.

"Please?" she asked, gazing up pleadingly at him. He was struck by how beautiful she was, and that long blonde hair made him think of Cynthia when she was younger.

"If you insist," he said, smiling slightly. She giggled and handed him her number.

"Call me later then, okay? Bye."

She smiled and waved, then turned and walked away, her mouth turned into a vicious grin.

* * *

While they were getting ready to leave, Amara watched Samora and Liam standing together both looking rather ill. She walked over to Samora and touched her shoulder to get her attention.

"Are you going to be alright?" She asked genuinely concerned. Samora blinked in surprise at her then nodded.

"Yeah." She said her tone saying otherwise.

"You know," Amara said smiling brightly at the both of them, "we're going to be here for a few days. Maybe Uri and I could spend some time with you guys if you want."

* * *

Liam regarded Amara curiously. Why did she care about them? She barely even knew that. On that logic, Samora had no reason to befriend him either. Maybe he didn't understand human nature very well, or maybe this group was special.

Liam looked up at Samora, wondering how she would respond.

* * *

Sensing that Amara was sincere, Samora returned her smile.

"I, uh...I don't know if we'll be able to." She replied, "But if it turns out we can, then that would be great...what do you think Liam?" She asked remembering she really had no place answering for him.

"I wouldn't mind spending more time with you." Uri said coming to join the three. He sat down and gave Liam an expectant look.

* * *

It was a tempting offer, and really, it wasn't such a bad thing to make friends, right? But he had only one true purpose in his life, and he couldn't let any emotional ties distract him from that. Still, it wouldn't do much good to brush these people off.

"That sounds fun," Liam replied, smiling. He looked over to the door where Alistair was waiting for them.

"We'd better go," he said, looking at Samora.

* * *

Aeron stepped up to Samora's side and walked them out of the cafe.

"I'll be seeing you." He told her brushing a strand of hair behind her ear then leaned down and kissed her cheek and whispered. "I'll stay close, don't worry." He pulled back and nodded to Liam and Alistair in turn before leaving.

"You two seem close." Leah said coming up to Samora. "I guess opposites attract huh."

"I guess so." Samora said, "It was nice meeting everyone." She turned to Alistair and gave him a weak smile. "Ok, let's go."

* * *

Liam watched Aeron leave and felt a pang of regret at seeing the man leaving alive yet again.

"Soon," he told himself. "Soon."

He turned back as Alistair gave Samora a nod.

"Don't worry," the mage said gently, noticing not for the first time the girl's nervousness toward her impending interrogation. "You'll be fine. I'll make sure of it."

Alistair looked over at Amara and smiled.

"I'll see you later tonight then, okay?"

He turned and led his two charges toward the headquarters, his mind still filled with his evening plans.

* * *

As soon as Alistair, Samora and Liam had left, everyone parted ways. Leah dragged Arashi to a club nearby, Ben took off to the flight hanger to help the maintenance crew and Amara and Uri headed off to their hotel.

"Stop it." Amara told him when they reached their room.

"I haven't said anything yet." He said jumping up onto the bed.

"I know, but I can feel it coming." She arched an eyebrow at him and put her hands on her hips. "So let's have it then."

"Stay three steps away from him at all times." He said seriously making her laugh but he continued on undeterred. "No hand holding and absolutely no hugging."

"Oh come on, Uri." She objected.

"Hugging leads to kissing and kissing...well." He wavered at the end but figured she knew what he meant.

"Uri!" She was appalled he would even suggest such a thing, "Alistair would never..."

"I'm not talking about Alistair." He interrupted and she looked at him shocked. "Yes, you. You said you were the one who suggested the dance and don't pretend it wasn't you who was going in for that kiss. He wouldn't initiate anything, but you're not an easy person to say no to and so far as I can tell he hasn't."

Amara stood there a long time trying to think of an instance that Alistair had told her no, but she couldn't come up with anything. The only reason she hadn't kissed him when they were on the beach was because Leah had interupted. When she realized that Uri might have a point, she laughed uneasily.

"Listen, nothing is going to happen." She told him. "I promise I won't do anything."

-

Cross eyed the two young people very carefully. Samora had just finished telling him what they had been looking for and why and he was feeling very tired.

"I see." He said finally. "Miss Opar, I don't believe I need to tell you the severity of your actions, but I will tell you that you are to expect some form of punishment for them. I suppose sending you to a detention cell at this time might be a little harsh, so I'm placing you and your 'brother' under house  
arrest. You will be under gaurd until I have determined what your punishment will be. Good night to you."

* * *

"Well," Alistair said, trying to be cheerful, "it could have gone a lot worse really."

Liam gave a noncommital shrug. Alistair opened his mouth to say something when he saw Adray approaching.

"There you are," Alistair said. "I was beginning to wonder where you were."

"I told you," Adray replied a bit shortly. He was a little out of sorts with his mind stuck on his unavoidable meeting with Cross and his rendezvous later. Alistair nodded, sensing that Adray needed some space.

"I'll see you tomorrow then, okay? Take care of yourself."

"Thank you, Alistair," Adray replied with a smile. Once Adray had knocked on Cross' door and entered, Alistair turned back to the other two.

"The director said you'd be placed under house arrest. Did he mention where?"

* * *

"Adray, so glad you could make it." Cross said irritation coming through his voice. "Where the hell have you been?"

-

"It's the same hotel as you apparently." Samora said shrugging. "The room right next to yours. He didn't tell you huh? Heh, I guess he told them." She looked at the security detail walking up the hall to them.

-

"Why are you brushing your teeth so hard?" Uri asked watching Amara frantically preparing for her meeting with Alistair.

"I don't know why, ok!" She barked at him then slurped up the tooth paste and spit it out in the sink. "I feel kinda...nervous."

"Amara..."

"I said nothing was going to happen and I meant it." She glared at him starting to get annoyed with his protectiveness.

"I believe you." He said calmly and laid his head down on his paws. She walked over to him and gave him a big hug before she went to check if Alistair had gotten back from RETABLIR.

* * *

Adray sighed, rubbing his temple.

"Miss Opar called me while you were talking with Alistair. I went to meet them so I could bring them back. When Mei called I accidentally had a girl run into me and she hurt her ankle as a result. I took her to the doctor, asked Alistair if he could bring her and the boy, then came back as soon as the doctor cleared her."

He looked up, glaring back at the director. The man's lack of faith in him was starting to annoy him greatly.

-

"It would appear so," Alistair said lightly, trying to alleviate the tension. He gave a nod to the security detail and motioned for the two younger ones to follow him. When they arrived at the hotel, he spoke to the security who consented to leaving.

"Well, I guess this is rather convenient," he said to the two as they walked toward the elevator. "Otherwise it would be difficult to visit you under the present circumstances."

* * *

The director sighed and shook his head feeling the strain of the day. His expression softened slightly as he considered Adray.

"I'm sorry, Adray. It's been stressfull these past few days for all of us." He said then looked off into space a moment before addressing him again. "I have yet to determine at this time, but I may require your assitance to resolve a troubling matter that has surfaced recently. I won't know for sure, however, until tomorrow. I'll brief you when I find out. You're free to go. Thank you commander."

-

Aeron watched as Samora and Liam followed Alistair into the hotel. The thought of setting off a bomb crossed his mind again, but he dismissed it and decided to check if Elia had made progress with her assignment.

"How did it go?" He asked into his phone, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

-

Amara stood for a moment against the wall beside Alistair's room door. Her chest was feeling tight, her stomach was in knots and she was having trouble breathing.

This is silly. She told herself. He's your friend first of all. There isn't any reason for you to be so nervous. She smiled then. Except that I really like him and I don't want to be anywhere else but right next to him.

"Just stay three steps away." She said aloud and repeated over and over in a low tone as she knocked on his door. She took a deep breath and clasped her hands behind her back so she wouldn't figet. "Alistair? It's Amara."

* * *

Adray nodded, feeling his own strain ease slightly upon hearing the director. Once he was outside, he picked up his phone and dialed the girl's number.

"Hello, again. You...uh...wanted to meet?"

-

"Great," Elia replied, laughing wickedly. "I've already got him wrapped around my finger. This shouldn't take to long. In fact-"

She saw another call coming through and smirked.

"In fact, he's calling again now to meet. I'll fill you in later."

She hung up and answered Adray's call.

"Yes, that's right. Where should we go?"

-

Alistair opened the door and couldn't resist smiling at her. She always had that effect on him.

"I was hoping you weren't going to make me wait too long," he said. He offered a gloved hand to her.

"So, what did you have in mind?" he asked.

* * *

Amara felt her heart leap when she saw Alistair smile and suddenly felt very light. She took his hand and gave him a sweet smile in return. Already breaking a rule. She thought guiltily.

"I didn't really have anything specific in mind." She confessed. "I just thought it'd be nice to spend some time together and talk. If that's alright, of course."

* * *

"That sounds wonderful," he whispered. He led her outside, still holding her hand and feeling lighter than air.

-

"Hi there," Elia said as Adray approached her. She was sitting on a bench by a small lake, twirling her one of her pigtails in her fingers.

"Hi," he said a bit gruffly, still not entirely comfortable with the situation. She laughed and motioned for him to sit down. He placed himself at the other end of the bench, but she scooted toward the middle.

"I just thought we could sit and talk," she said quietly. "Oh, and I don't think I know your name."

"Adray Lasbard," he replied. "And yours?"

"Elisia Einzburn," she said, already prepared with the alias.

"That's a beautiful name," Adray said, finally looking at her.

"Thank you," she said, her soft tone and smile betraying the cold satisfaction in her heart.

* * *

I wonder if I should tell him how I feel? Amara thought as Alistair led her outside. Would it be too soon? I guess so. We've only known each other three days. It feels longer though...

"So," She said as nonchalantly as she could manage being that her heart was racing as she held his hand. "did Director Cross mention anything about your assignment when you were at RETABLIR tonight?"

* * *

"No, he didn't," Alistair replied, feeling his hear sink a little as she mentioned it. "I believe he said he'll give that to me tomorrow."

They walked in silence for a bit. Alistair enjoyed the feeling of the cool breeze ruffling his hair.

"So, what do you and Uri plan to do after you leave Edge?" he asked, trying not to sound as sad as it made him.

-

"I couldn't help but notice the uniform," Elia said, brushing her hands against it.

"Yes, I'm the head of RETABLIR's military forces," he replied, looking away.

"You must be good at your job," she continued. ""It's hard to believe though that anyone could have the qualities that takes on top of being caring and considerate."

She let her finger tips brush his neck as she added, "And handsome."

Adray quickly stood up and turned away. Elia wasn't at all surprised, given his background. However, she put on a hurt face for show.

"Is something wrong?" she asked in a perfectly confused voice.

"I don't think I can do this," he said, a bit strained. "I'm a good deal older than you, and I'm just...I have too many burdens."

"Bingo," Elia thought. She walked over to him ang gently laid a hand on his back.

"I was in love with this boy I knew. He loved me too but neither of us knew the truth. Finally he got up the courage to tell me and we got together. I was so happy then. We decided we didn't want to wait and wanted to get married. We decided to elope, but while we were running away we came across a town that geostigma had hit. He contracted it soon after and died. I thought my heart would break as I watched him buried, but I know he would have wanted me to try to move on and be happy."

She turned and walked back to the bench. Once she picked up her purse, she looked back over her shoulder.

"I don't care how old a guy is or what he's still holding on to. I just want someone who I can talk to and who will confide in me."

She took a few steps when Adray turned and asked quietly, "Can I see you again tomorrow?"

Elia smirked before turning and smiling sweetly at him.

"I'd like that."

* * *

Amara picked up the sadness in his voice and it comforted her a little that she wasn't the only one unhappy by the thought of splitting up.

"We didn't have any plans set in stone." She said quietly. Breaking another rule, she stepped closer to him and placed her hand on his arm. "You said something earlier that...sort of upset me." She looked him in the eye and gave him a sad smile. "Even if we have to go our seperate ways, that doesn't mean this is our last night together...all of us, together." She quickly amended before continuing.

"Even if your assignment takes you far away, we'll see each other again. Don't you think so?"

* * *

"Yes, of course we will," he replied, smiling down at her. His spare hand pulled hers away from his arm and brought it up to his face.

"And even when we're apart, we'll still remember each other," he said before pressing his lips lightly to her hand.

* * *

Her skin tingled where his lips pressed against her hand and her blood flooded into her cheeks turning them bright pink. She couldn't help but smile at the gesture.

"I could never forget you." She said softly and placed her hand on his face. _STOP!_ Her mind screamed remembering her promise to Uri and she slowly backed away from Alistair. "You know..." She said trying to recover her composure and make light of the fact she just killed the moment. "You still owe me some magic lessons."

* * *

"Yes, I do," he said with a chuckle to try to hide his disappointment. It was probably better this way anyway.

"You'll just have to arrange an appointment with my secretary," he said teasingly, "and I'll see if I can get back to you."

Cause really, she didn't feel that way about him. And really, there paths were only supposed to cross for a moment.

And truly, it wasn't making him feel any better.

* * *

"We have time now right?" She laughed and pulled her hair back into place with her comb. "And maybe, I can even teach you something. Afterall, we can be sure we'll probably face things just as bad as that dragon zombie and if your magic isn't up to snuff, well...I'm sure you get the idea." She smiled broadly loving the fact she was able to use his speech against him.

* * *

"Is that right?" he said, raising an eyebrow and smirking. He just loved that about her. She wasn't just another pretty face. She was witty and playful, and so fascinating...

He realized he had been staring at her a moment and quickly broke his gaze away.

"Well then, let's get down to business," he said, flexing his fingers and smiling.

* * *

"Ok then." She rubbed her hands together and took a deep breath. She had never really taught anyone before, but she was confident she could help him. "You're very talented with black magic, but I bet not so much with white. The reason for that is, while black magic usually has an emotional catylist, white has to do with your state of mind. Peace, serenity, calm, which is very difficult to achieve when you're in battle. That's why clerics make the best white mages."

She looked to see if he was following alright before she continued.

"Instead of going right into healing, there is actually a technique the elders at Cosmo Canyon used to train the magic students." She checked her fire materia and gave him a smile. "See, fire has two sides. The one side you're familiar with is the destructive side - thank you for helping me with that by the way - but the other plays an important role in sustaining life."

She took a deep breath and held out her hand. Suddenly, a lick of flame appeared in her palm and steadily danced there like fire on a candle wick.

"There's a festival every year to celebrate the cosmo candle and part of that tradition is what's called the candle dance where the dancers use their life energy to keep the fire in the hands and above their heads burning while they perform the dance." She closed her hand into a fist and snuffed out the flame. "Now your turn. Close your eyes and clear your mind. Picture the sun rising in the horizon, and feel its light begin to fill your soul and gradually warm you. Concentrate on your heart beating and use its energy to make the flame  
appear. It will be an extension of you, like your own little pulse of life."

* * *

Alistair nodded, liking the role reversal here. It gave him a nice chance to just hear her voice. He noticed that she was waiting for him so he closed his eyes to concentrate. His mind was ready to go into black magic mode but he stilled his thoughts and let her words echo in his mind.

"Picture the sun rising in the horizon."

He remembered staying up with his father to watch the sunrise one time, loving how it cast its rays as it peeped over the horizon. The thought made him feel a glow inside.

"Concentrate on your heart beating and use its energy."

He felt his heart beating and held his palm out. He didn't have to look to know that a small flame had sprung up, hovering a little above his hand.

"How did I do?" he asked, opening his eyes and smiling at her.

* * *

"Excellent!" She said excitedly. "Someday I'll have to teach you the dance steps too."

She had a sudden urge to hug him, but held back and decided to move on.

"Now the key to be effective with any type of white magic, is pushing all your disquieting thoughts and feelings to the side. Try to put your mind in a tranquil, meditative state. Think of a time when you're most at peace and let that spread to every corner of your body and cure will naturally follow."

She let herself visibly relax and a green glow surrounded her as she called on the magic to heal her. She nodded at him to let him know it was his turn to try.

* * *

Alistair felt his heart sink. That was easier said than done. The most he felt at peace was with her, and even then he felt plagued with doubts and guilt.

"All right," he said reluctantly. He pushed back all their complicated circumstances and thought of just this moment, how it was just the two of them and nothing else. The thought caused his tension to melt and peace flood his body.

"Cure," he whispered and felt the healing spell surround and fill him.

* * *

"That was perfect." Amara praised, but made sure she kept her distance. "I think that'll conclude our lesson for tonight."

She took down her hair and let it fall freely to her waist. When she looked back at Alistair her heart felt like it was going to explode in her chest. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to tell him how she felt and have him hold her again like he did at the beach.

"Alistair, I..." She tried to say but her voice cut off. For some reason, she had thought it would be easier to say than to stay quiet.

* * *

"Yes?" he asked, taking a step closer to her. When she didn't answer, he stepped a little closer.

"Amara, is something wrong?"

He noticed she had been making sure to keep a certain distance and wondered if there was something between her and Ben. Or maybe Uri hadn't completely changed his ways. Either way, something was bothering her.

"You know...you can tell me," he said, hoping he wasn't setting himself up to be hurt.

* * *

For whatever reason, she couldn't bring herself to say it.

Better change tactics...

"Alistair," She looked up at him, her expression somber, "how do you...feel...about me?"

* * *

Alistair blinked in surprise.

"What is this, a bait and switch?" he wondered.

He crosses his arms and averted her gaze.

"I think...that you're charming and...fascinating. You're a really wonderful person, and I'm glad I was able to meet you."

He looked up at her, trying to gauge her reaction and see if he had said too much or too little.

* * *

"Oh...k." She said feeling as if a vice just tightened on her heart. She looked away for a moment so he wouldn't see the tears coming up in her eyes. She quickly blinked them away and swallowed so her voice wouldn't betray her.

"Um, that's good." She turned back and smiled at him, "I'm glad we met too..."

That really wasn't what she expected, and she suddenly felt foolish for wanting to tell him how she felt about him. If this was how he would react, then she was almost glad she didn't say anything.

"It's pretty late." She said wanting to get away as fast as she could, "I...should...go."

* * *

Alistair swallowed hard and realized that he must have said something wrong. He caught her elbow before she could leave and turned to face her.

"But, I don't think I can part ways without telling you how much our time together has meant to me. You're...you're such an amazing person, and I've just-"

As he looked up into her eyes, he felt the words spill out before he could stop them.

"I've just fallen for you."

He realized what he had just said and let go of her elbow before taking half a step back.

"I'm sorry...I shouldn't have said that."

* * *

Amara stood there in shock for a moment unable to respond to what Alistair had just blurted out. As soon as his words settled in, she was able to breath and a small, sweet smile formed at the corners of her mouth.

"I'm glad you did," She said taking a step closer to him. "because I feel the same way."

* * *

Alistair flushed and looked back at her, his heart pounding so hard he was sure it was leaving bruises.

"You do?" he breathed, his body unconsciously inching forward. All his instincts were telling him to pull out of this situation now but that train of thought was rapidly fading from his mind, along with everything else, till everything that mattered was her.

* * *

"Yes." She nodded emphatically. She felt very warm and could feel her pulse quicken as he slowly came closer to her. She thought about the promise she made to Uri, but pushed it far from her mind. "To hell with the rules."

In one quick motion, she closed the distance between them, wrapped her arms around his neck and met his lips with hers.

* * *

Alistair eyes widened as she pressed her lips against his, but in a moment they fluttered closed and his arms circled around her waist of their own accord. Her lips were so soft and sweet and he could hardly believe that this was happening. It was more than he could have ever hoped for.

But...

He pulled away slowly, panting slightly. It took all his willpower not to capture her lips in another kiss.

"Amara, I...I can't do this to you. You're leaving and I don't know when I'll see you again and.." he trailed off before the words could catch in his throat.

* * *

The sudden break was a bit shocking and Amara was left out of breath for a moment. At first she was a bit disappointed, but his self-control was a good indication of how much he cared for her and the thought warmed her heart.

"It's ok." She told him, running her fingertips along the side of his face. "I understand, and you're right. Care to walk me back to my room?"

The walk was wonderfully slow and they lingered together at the door before saying a final goodnight.

"-"

* * *

Alistair smiled gently at her, then pulled her into a hug.

"Find out who you are," he told her as he stroked her hair. "And when you're ready, I'll be waiting for you."

He let go of her, and wrapped his fingers around hers.

"We'd better get some sleep."

He led her by the hand back into the hotel, feeling like a weight had lifted off his heart.

-

Liam slowly retreated back from the window. He thought he heard voices and decided to spy. It was definitely Aeron.

"He's even more invested in Samora than I thought. At least this means he's definitely going to be in reach when the time comes."

The thing he really needed to know was this man's fighting skills and style. Maybe he could use Samora to find out...

-

Elia dialed Aeron's number and waited for him to answer.

"Good news," she said when he answered. "The first date went exactly as planned."

* * *

As they walked together, Amara couldn't help but smile feeling completely aglow. Even if she never found out about her past, she knew she would at least have him and she hoped he knew he would have her too.

"I don't know if I can sleep." She said with a giggle and gently squeezed his hand. I know Uri will probably keep me up for awhile with another lecture...but oh well, it was worth it.

-

Samora remained on the balcony a little while longer almost half hoping Aeron would show up again. When it was clear he wouldn't, she reluctantly went back inside.

"Hey, you gonna go to bed soon?" She asked Liam feeling a little tired herself.

-

"Excellent." Aeron said to Elia. "I believe I've gained Samora's trust as well. The others will take time. Are you planning on meeting him again then?"

* * *

"Try your best," he said with a laugh as they reached her room. "Maybe I'll see you again in your dreams."

He gave her hand another soft kiss and left for his room, smiling and humming all the way.

-

"Hmm?" he said, looking up. "Oh, yeah I am."

He got under his covers and waited for Samora to get into her bed.

"Samora?" he asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible. "Aeron saved you before right? Was he really good at fighting? He seems like a capable fighter."

-

"Yeah," she said with a harsh laugh. "He's already coming back for more. I'm supposed to meet him again tomorrow. I just had to give him a sob story like his own and he lapped it up."

* * *

"I hope so." She said to herself as she watched him walk away. When she entered her room, Uri was sitting up, his ears at the alert and he had a knowing look on his face, but he stayed quiet. Amara crossed over to her bed and flung herself on the mattress and let out a long sigh.

"You kissed him didn't you?" He shook his head in mock disappointment and she turned on her side so she could look him in the eye.

"Yes. I did." She said recalling the feeling of his lips on hers. "But nothing else happened."

"I see." Uri stretched out and yawned before speaking again. "The director called while you were out. He says he wants to meet us for breakfast tomorrow."

"What?" She sat up and frowned. "Why?" He made a shrugging motion and laid back down to sleep. "Well, ok..." She was a bit surprised Uri wasn't saying anything more about Alistair, but thankfull. She kicked off her boots and got underneath the covers and settled in to sleep. Sweet dreams, Alistair. She thought pulling the covers tight around her. I wish you were here with me...

-

Samora hugged her pillow as she thought about the day she met Aeron.

"Capable? I guess you can say that." She spoke in a low voice, "He took them out like they were nothing and it didn't even seem like he was trying. I've never seen anything like it." She gave Liam a questioning look. "Why do you ask?"

-

"It's hard to believe you can pull off 'sweet'." Aeron said with a smirk. "Do you think he'll be ready by the end of the week?"

* * *

Liam turned away and shrugged.

"I was just wondering. I thought if he was that strong that he could be a good addition to our team, but with power like that he's probably already spoken for."

He snuggled into his bed an smiled. Hopefully he'd planted just enough doubt in Samora's mind to get her to find out more about him.

-

"Hmph. There's nothing I can't pull off," she said. "But yeah, if things continue this way I'll have him eating out of the palm of my hand in no time."

* * *

Amara woke with a start, practically jumping out of bed in the process. She was breathing heavily, like she had been running for miles and sweat was dripping down her forehead.

"What's wrong?" Uri ever the light sleeper had been stirred awake by her gasping for air.

"N-n-nothing." She stuttered slipping out of bed to rinse her face. She saw his amber eyes reflected in the mirror and she smiled back at him. "It was just a nightmare."

"You haven't had one like that for years." He said concerned.

"It was the same one." She whispered, "People are screaming and I'm running away. I'm covered in blood..." Why am I having it again?

"Are you going back to sleep?" He asked hoping she would.

She looked at the door for a long moment wanting to go for a walk instead, but decided against it. She slowly made her way back to bed and curled up. Uri leaped over to her side and snuggled down next to her protectively.

"I'll keep the bad dreams away." He whispered to her as he had done when she was a child. Feeling better now that he was there, she wrapped her arms around him and slowly drifted back off to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Alistair awoke the next morning and stifled a yawn.

"So Amara is meeting with Director Cross this morning? I wonder if I should have breakfast with Liam and Samora."

He got dressed and went over to the other room and knocked smartly on the door.

"Samora? Liam? Care to get some breakfast?"

* * *

Samora opened the door and greeted Alistair with a smile. Things seemed a little better this morning and she was going to try and enjoy it as best she could.

"Good morning!" She said cheerfully, "Breakfast sounds great. You coming down too Liam?"

-

Amara and Uri sat at the table with the director and exchanged pleasantries. They ordered their breakfasts and took turns making small talk. By the time their food came around, they found out the director had grown up in Kalm, Amara was a fantastic cook, Uri had known Bugenhagen and they were all now on a first name basis.

"So...Victor," Amara said feeling strange using his name, "do you treat all travelers to breakfast?"

"Normally no." He admitted casting her a charming smile, "But I thought I'd make an expection in this case. Although, I must admit I do have an alterior motive. As you two must have heard yesterday while I was speaking with Alistair we're always in need of extra help. I was hoping to convince the both of you to join RETABLIR."

* * *

"Sure," he said, smiling up at the two. Alistair nodded and led the two to the hotel dining area.

"Table for three," he told the waiter and followed to the table. Once they were all seated, he turned to the other two.

"So, if you don't mind me asking, what did you two do to cross RETABLIR?"

-

Adray ate his breakfast quietly in his home and sighed. He wondered if he was doing the right thing by seeing Elisia again.

"We can help each other though," he told himself. "I need someone to help get me through this constant blanket of sadness."

He nodded to himself, his mind made up.

* * *

Samora stared blankly at Alistair feeling her mood darken slightly. On the one hand, she didn't want to tell him because he seemed to be a good advocate for them and she didn't want him to think badly about them. On the other hand, he was now working for RETABLIR and would probably find out eventually, at least hearing it right from the source might go over a little better.

"We, er...I used Commander Lasbard's clearance to hack into their database." She said dryly. "Ya know, it just sounds worse the more times I say it."

She broke her gaze away from Alistair and turned her attention to her fingernails. Damn! I broke a nail. Wonder when that happened?

-

Amara and Uri exchanged surprised glances at Cross' request. Seeing he had caused some discomfort he dismissed the issue.

"No need for an answer right away." He told them. "Let's just enjoy the meal shall we?"

So they ate. Amara thought it would be a good chance for her and Alistair to be together, but she still had her own issues to resolve while Uri was seriously considering accepting the offer.

I would have a chance to help the planet. He thought mulling it over carefully before deciding it was what he wanted to do. Now to just convince Amara...

* * *

"You hacked their database? But you're obviously not a part of FESTANCA. What were you trying to find out?" Alistair asked, his curiosity piqued. Liam looked over at Samora, wondering if it was safe to mention how much they knew.

"Samora, something wrong?" Liam asked, noticing that she seemed preoccupied with her nails.

"Girls," he thought with a a pulse of annoyance.

* * *

"It's a long story." Samora said bringing her attention back to the two males at the table. "The short of it is that we wanted to find out what's happening to the planet. I had no intention of using the information for espianoge or...whatever. I'm sorry I've had to go over this alot in the past twenty-four hours. Sorry." She clicked her nails on the table in frustration and managed to break another nail.

"**!" She exclaimed under her breath and when she realized that it was out loud she excused herself from the table to go to the restroom. This doesn't bode well for the rest of my day!

* * *

Alistair and Liam exchanged looks that clearly meant the same thing.

'What's up with her?"

"Uh...yeah like Samora was saying we were jut interested in the recent events involving the Lifstream and all that," Liam said.

"Really?" Alistair asked. "My friends and I are trying to figure that out as well. What did you find out?"

Liam hesitated, unsure of how to proceed.

"I'm sure you'll find out from the director soon enough," Liam replied. "But there is something going on, and now that other group FESTANCA knows why."

* * *

"You're seriously considering it?" Amara asked Uri after they had finished their breakfast with Cross.

"I've already considered it." Uri corrected, "I am going to join RETABLIR."

Amara was stunned silent, she couldn't help but feel a little betrayed. He had always told her he'd be there for her and he promised he'd help her find the truth about her past. How could he do that if he was busy working for RETABLIR?

Stop being selfish. She told herself. This is something he needs to do.

"You should think of joining too." Uri told her hoping she would consider.

"Maybe I will." She said quietly, "But not until I know who I am...otherwise my attention will just be divided." The full weight of their decision hit her hard and she leveled her gaze with her friend. "This is it then. Isn't it?"

-

Victor Cross stood motionless in the elevator as it made its way up the floors of RETABLIR. After speaking with the girl and the wolf-lion, he now knew for certain who Amara was. The question that plagued him now was what he was going to do about it?

* * *

Alistair and Liam waited in silence, waiting for Samora to return.

"I hope she's not ill," Alistair said after a while. Liam looked up.

"I'm sure she's okay. She's probably just doing girl things."

Alistair gave a quiet laugh and ordered another cup of tea while Liam asked for another black coffee. Alistair had to wonder how the kid drank something so bitter.

"So, what do you two plan to do with your day under the...circumstances."

Liam shrugged and swirled his coffee around.

"Not really sure. So, where are the other girl and the wolf-lion?" Liam asked. Alistair shook his head.

"I'm not sure. I know they had a breakfast appointment with the director. I wonder if they're back yet."

-

Silyl entered the Triune meeting room with theatrical flourish and seated himself. He gave a nod to Vigdis.

"My plan is going perfectly, as I knew it would. It's only a matter of time until she brings Lasbard under my control. The only issue is making sure our 'revered' Vorlaufer is out of our hair."

* * *

The walk back to the hotel was very quiet. Amara felt as if a hole had been punched in her chest and Uri felt too guilty to say anything. Once inside they ran into Samora who was on her way back to the dining area.

"Good morning." She said feeling happy again to see the two. "Liam and me are having breakfast with Alistair. You two want to join us?"

"Um...sure." Amara said reluctantly putting on a happy face.

"Good morning everyone." Uri said once they took their seats at the table. He threw a quick glance around the room and frowned. "Has anyone heard from Arashi and Leah?"

-

"I do have a suggestion." Vigdis said with a sly smile, "I've been looking over the research Aeron aquired from Dr. Powers. As it turns out, FESTANCA has successfully used geostigma to create 'super' soldiers. They have not been field tested as yet, but I was thinking that they may prove to be a sufficient distraction for Lau. I'm sure as soon as he hears they carry the geostigma cells, he will want to eliminate them quickly."

* * *

Alistair frowned when he saw Amara. Obviously something was bothering her. He didn't want to address it now though.

"No, I haven't," he said to Uri. "Not since our meal together yesterday."

He slid his hand discreetly over Amara's and gave it a gentle squeeze to let her know that everything would be okay.

-

"Brilliant," Silyl said, his eyes gleaming. "That should distract him enough to let us proceed with our plans unhindered. Speaking of FESTANCA, are they still useful to us, or are they becoming a hindrance as well? Once we dispose of RETABLIR, we will have to concern ourselves with them."

* * *

Amara smiled to herself when she felt Alistair's hand over hers. She laced her fingers through his and squeezed his hand back.

"I'm sure they're keeping themselves busy." Amara said about Arashi and Leah with a little smirk. In truth, she was sure Arashi was asleep again, but he probably wasn't sleeping alone. (Not suggesting they did anything, just literally sleeping together...which still doesn't sound very innocent does it?)

Uri blinked at her comment and shook his head. _That girl. Her father is going to kill her._

"When are you going to meet with the director?" Uri asked Alistair trying to move the conversation along. Amara's heart sank lower as he asked the question and withdrew her hand from Alistair's.

-

"I'm sure FESTANCA will need to be dealt with eventually." Vigdis mused. "But for now, they haven't proven to be any obstacle to our plans. Did you happen to have anything specific in mind for them?"

* * *

Alistair felt her hand withdraw and gave a quick, curious look at her.

"I wonder...did something happen with the director?"

Alistair shook his private thoughts away and turned to Uri.

"I'll be leaving for headquarters after breakfast. Did you need to seem him again?" he asked, hoping someone would give him a clue as to what was going on.

-

"Nothing so dramatic as for RETABLIR," Silyl replied with a wave of his hand. "We'll probably just use a Lau approach and unleash a sudden coup de'tat. Already our own numbers swarm their ranks unnoticed. There shouldn't be much difficulty in simply overthrowing them."

* * *

Uri gave Amara a quick glance before answering.

"Well, yes actually..." He started to say.

"Victor invited us to join RETABLIR." Amara said cutting him off. "Uri is going to accept."

_Victor?_ Samora thought frowning then she realized Amara meant Director Cross._ I wonder why she isn't joining._

* * *

Alistair opened his mouth, then shut it tightly. Cross asked for them to join? And judging by their responses...Uri accepted and Amara didn't.

"Is that right?" he finally managed to reply, looking first at Uri, then Amara. "This is a bit...sudden."

"Awkward is more like it," Liam thought, watching the expressions on the three's faces.

* * *

"Yes, it is I admit." Uri said nodding slowly. "He mentioned that he was impressed by your description of us and said he hoped to convince us to join."

Samora watched the exchange between the three with interest. She could tell that Amara was only trying to put on a happy front, when in reality she was anything but.

* * *

"Uri, but what about-" Alistair began, but then hesitated, wondering if it was really his place to bring up the wolf-lion and Amara's previous plans.

"I'm gonna head back to the room," Liam said to no one in particular, grabbing a muffin and making a break for it before things got any more awkward.

"Well...I'm glad to hear it," Alistair said, his voice not entirely convincing. He was happy to think that he wouldn't have to part ways with everyone, but he wanted what was best for Amara and he wasn't sure what was going to happen to her as a result of all of this.

* * *

Samora watched as Liam got up and decided it was probably best if she join him as well. She made a mental note to talk to Amara later to find out why she didn't seem to want to accept the invitation.

Amara swallowed then smiled brightly at Alistair in hopes of reasuring him she would be alright.

"It'll be great." She said forcing cheer into her voice, "This is something he needs to do and maybe when I've found what I'm looking for I'll join too..." She noticed she was mindlessly twirling her hair around her finger and imediately dropped the strand she had been twisting. Uri was all too familiar with the action and lowered his head.

* * *

Alistair tugged at his collar nervously. The feeling in the air was horribly tense.

"I think I'd better leave for headquarters now," he said, standing up. He looked over at Amara amd gave her a weak smile.

"Will you be around later when I get back? I'd like to talk to you," he said quietly.

* * *

"I think I'm going into the city, but I should be here when you get back." She said standing from the table as Uri jumped down from his chair and padded over to Alistair's side.

"Are you sure you're not coming too?" He asked in a soft voice. He knew her answer, but he needed to ask anyway. Just as he thought, she nodded and waved good bye to the two before turning and walking away to their room. Uri frowned and waited for any comment Alistair would make as they exited the hotel.

* * *

Alistair was silent as they exited the hotel. It's not like he didn't want to launch into a full inquiry as to what was going on, and Uri would certainly deserve a lecture after all the wolf-lion put him through. But at the moment Alistair felt that what was going on was very personal between the two best friends and he felt he would be overstepping his bounds by saying anything. Still...

"Will she be okay by herself?" he asked Uri as they entered the sleek black car that Cross had given him while he was in the city.

* * *

Uri was a bit shocked that that was all he said, but it was a weighty question all the same. He considered his words carefully before answering.

"She's more than capable enough." He said with a nod, "She's always been strong...much stronger than she thinks she is. Hopefully this will help her see that."

He knew it was true, but couldn't help feel like he was abandoning her.

"I love her, you know." He said quietly, "Just...some things are bigger than that..."

* * *

"I understand," Alistair said, though the words were hollow. He certainly didn't know Amara as well as Uri did but already he felt such a strong pull to her that he knew he would be devastated if anything happened to her. For a moment he considered telling Cross that he changed his mind. Amara's safety was more important than anything to him, but he realized that there wouldn't be a future for her anyway if they didn't help RETABLIR to save the planet.

"I guess I'll just have to hope that she finds what she's looking for before she meets up with any danger," he thought, as he parked the car by headquarters. Now it was time to see if he had made the right decision after all.

* * *

Amara sat on her bed running her fingers through her long hair. She didn't like the idea of continuing on alone, but she didn't want to think of it that way. Uri had always been there for her, he'd always helped her through whatever she faced, but this was something she always knew he could not do for her.

She sighed and rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. She knew where she would be going next and hopefully it held some answers at least. Maybe enough so that she could piece together whatever lay buried in her mind and get on with her life.

A knock came at the door followed by a low voice.

"Hey Mar, you in there?"

Amara jumped up and ran to open the door. Ben stood there looking a little lost, but he brightened when she appeared.

"Hey, good morning." He said rubbing the back of his neck, "Were you still wanting to go into the city?"

"Sure thing." She said smiling at her friend. She thought about leaving a note, but decided not to since she planned on being back before Alistair and Uri finished with the director. She grabbed some money and followed Ben down to a motorcycle he had rented and took off to see the sights of Edge.

-

"Alistair, good morning." Cross said extending his hand to the man. "Uri, I'm glad to see you again. Did you consider my offer?"

"I have." Uri said almost reluctantly, "I want to join RETABLIR."

"Excellent." He said clasping his hands together. "Well, I suppose we should get down to business. Please gentlemen, have a seat."

* * *

Alistair nodded and took the seat offered to him. He crossed his legs to make himself comfortable and waited for Cross to continue.

"I hope we'll at least find out some of the answers we've been looking for," he thought.

-

Liam watched a motorcycle flying down the street and sighed. He never really appreciated the outdoors until he was denied access to it. He munched on his muffin and tried to strategize.

"This whole situation isn't allowing for much progress, unless I can get Samora to find out more about Aeron, which she seems a little sensitive too. I'll have to be careful about my approach."

* * *

As soon as Cross took a seat at his desk, his demeanor changed. His previous cheer vanished and was replaced by a severe seriousness that was all business and his eyes seemed to darken with this new persona. Uri had to blink a few times to make sure he was seeing him right.

"I'm sure you two are aware of the chaotic changes that are taking place on our planet." He said placing his hands together on the desk. "The earthquake being the most recent occurrence. The trouble lies within the lifestream. Alistair, your friend's assumption that the planet has been infected with geostigma is correct. The lifestream has become more and more polluted as people infected with geostigma have died and returned to the planet. I can't say I'm entirely sure of the exact extent of the damage at this point. Our top scientist who was studying the phenomenon was killed and her research stolen. Most likely a FESTANCA assassin, we're in the process of investigating and hopefully we'll find traces of the information she was planning on presenting.

"In the mean time, I have no choice but to take some action to attempt to alleviate the damage that has been brought on our world. Our scientists have been working on developing machines that will in effect cleanse the lifestream, filtering out the geostigma and hopefully decreasing the decay of the planet. We have a prototype ready for field use, but I didn't have the man power available to oversee the initial launch. Alistair, I would like to send you and Uri out for that if at all possible."

* * *

"Interesting," Alistair thought. The mention of that research certainly piqued his interest. He had to wonder if it was Elia, since oddly enough she had never showed up, or that Vrede guy that killed her.

"Of course," he replied to Cross while making a quick glance at Uri. "I should be glad to make myself useful. Where do you plan to launch this prototype?"

* * *

"I'm glad to hear it." Cross said leaning back in his chair. "We have narrowed down the site to three possible locations, once that is decided you'll be shipped out immediately. In the meantime, I suggest you visit with Mei for orientation. There is a lot of information you'll have to catch up on. But, while you are waiting for the decision, I do suggest you make the most of your time here while you can. I thank you for your time gentlemen, but I do have other matters to attend to. Have a good day."

Uri frowned at the abrupt end to their meeting, but got up to leave anyway.

"Uri, may I speak with you a moment?"

"Yes sir?" Uri said turning back to his new superior.

"May I ask why Ms. Eilian decided not to join?"

"She has personal matters she must address before she can make that commitment, Director." Uri told him matching his professional tone. Cross regarded the wolf-lion carefully before dismissing him again. Uri had an odd feeling about the question, but could not determine why so he decided to let it rest for now.

* * *

"Apparently Cross has forgotten the niceties of conversation," Alistair thought as he walked out of Cross' office. He wondered what Cross was asking Uri about but figured it probably had to do with Amara, or rather her lack of appearance. He turned and saw Mei and gave her a warm smile.

"Hello, Mei. The director has an orientation for me and my companion, I understand?"

Out of the corner of his eye he spied Adray walking down the hallway. Adray gave him a smile and a nod, and Alistair, after doing the same, stared at the spot where Adray had been.

"That's...strange. Adray seemed less...gloomy than usual. That veil of sadness he always carries seemed less noticeable. I wonder what's happened?"

He had a feeling he was ignoring Mei, and turned back with an apologetic look.

"Sorry, Mei. Was that a yes then?"

* * *

Amara and Ben stood side by side looking up at the Edge Memorial, which had been the last stop of their tour. Ben had been here numerous times, but this was the first time Amara had seen it in person.

"It's so strange to think everything could have been destroyed." She said quietly and thought about Uri and Alistair working to restore the planet. "Do you think we'll ever be able to fully recover?"

"I don't know." He said shrugging, "Maybe if we learn from our mistakes and move forward. I think we're on the right track now, but Gaia probably won't fully recover until most of us are already gone."

"Maybe Uri will be able to see it..." Her voice held a hint of sadness and Ben put his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. They stood there a little while longer before getting on the bike and driving back to the hotel.

-

Cross took notice of Adray as he entered his office and arched an eyebrow as he studied him.

"Good morning, Adray." He said warmly. "You're looking well this morning."

-

Uri came up next to Alistair and listened intently to Mei's introduction to their orientation. Most of it was common sense, but she did give them their security clearance and basic protocol before handing them their individual packets and directing them to the company database for the information they would need on the prototype and letting them know if they had any questions to ask her, or if she was unavailable to direct their inquiries to the scientists and engineers in charge of the program.

"Welcome to RETABLIR gentlemen." She said at the end of her presentation and politely dismissed them.

"This was an informative first day." Uri thought aloud. It was strange, but as he contemplated his new purpose his mood had lightened and he couldn't wait to tell Amara about everything. Maybe this will be a good thing for both of us...

-

This is soooo boring! Samora thought laying flat on her bed. There has gotta be something here for us to do.

She rolled over onto her stomach and crawled over to the nightstand. She checked the drawers then smiled to herself when she found a deck of playing cards.

"Hey Liam," She said mentally counting the money she had with her, "You know how to play poker?"

* * *

"Yes, thank you, sir," Adray said, blinking with surprise. He did feel a bit better this morning than usual. He didn't think it was that obvious, but judging by Alistair and Cross' reactions, he supposed it had to be.

"I guess I have to owe it to Elisia," he thought.

-

"Yes, it was," Alistair replied. He felt more excited now that he had a definite plan of what he was going to be doing. He could tell that Uri was excited too, and he hoped that Amara would be open to hearing it from both of them.

"Where do you think we'll be testing it?" he asked Uri. The thought was nagging him a bit. He hoped it wouldn't be too far from Edge so that Amara would be able to rejoin them faster if...when she found what she was looking for.

-

Liam shook his head and contemplated the cards.

"Are you going to show me how?" he asked.

* * *

Cross gave him a nod and motioned for him to take a seat.

"What's the status on the investigation?" He asked going right into business. He was hoping Adray was able to recover some of the research that had been taken from Beth.

-

"I would think someplace that has easy access to the lifestream." Uri replied going over the locations that fit that description. "Places that had mako reactors for starters, but then there's Mideel and...the North Crater..." He didn't much care to go there, but he knew he didn't have much choice in the matter. "Do you have any guesses?"

-

Samora smiled at Liam and motioned him over to the bed. I wonder if he's trying to hustle me?

"Sure." She shuffled the deck and dealt the cards out. "It'll give us something to do anyway. Since you haven't played before, we'll start with five card stud." She did a quick demo game with him, explaining the rules as they went. "Got it? Ok, so here we go then. Suicide kings wild."

-

I wonder when Alistair and Uri are getting back? Amara thought as she walked into the hotel with Ben.

"Hey! There you guys are." Leah said coming to meet them. "Where have you been?"

"Driving through the city." Ben answered eyeing her suspiciously. "Where have you been?"

"With Arashi." She said matter of factly with a shrug. Amara and Ben exchanged a look and Leah laughed at them. "Nothing like that. He's been asleep most of the time. So what's going on, where is everybody?"

* * *

Adray shook his head slowly.

"Nonexistant. Dr. Powers' autopsy left us little to no evidence to go on, not even a murder weapon. It's all very bizzare."

-

"My first thought was Mideel, based on its proximity to the Lifestream. Your other guess seem equally likely though. I'm sure some remote location like the North Crater would seem ideal for such a project," Alistair said. The thought of the North Crater didn't sit particularly well with him either, but he gave up personal comfort when he made this commitment.

-

"Right," Liam said, picking up his cards and looking them over. He wondered if it was possible to use this game to his advantage. That remained to be seen. For now, he was going to have to try to master the game subtly.

"All right," he said, looking at her with a smile. "let's play."

* * *

"What?" Ben asked after Amara finished updating them.

"I can't believe Uri is just leaving you like that." Leah said voicing Ben's thought.

"Please guys," Amara said shaking her head, "Uri always wanted to do more to help the planet and now he can."

Leah and Ben exchanged a look but neither said anything more about it.

-

"You're getting pretty good." Samora said smiling at Liam. "I call. two pair, queens high. What do you have?"

* * *

Liam shrugged nonchalantly and threw his cards down.

"Uh...full house, I think."

He smiled slightly as he thought, "I'm getting pretty good. Maybe I should consider trying to use this game to my advantage."

* * *

Samora laughed when she saw the cards and beamed at Liam.

"Are you sure you haven't played before?" She asked as she gathered the cards and shuffled. She had to admit that she really liked the kid and if she had to be stuck under house arrest in a five star hotel, she was glad she was stuck with him. She chuckled at the thought and shared it with him before dealing out the cards again.


	11. Chapter 11

"Positive," he said as he took his cards. "Maybe you're just a good teacher."

He contemplated his cards and then regarded Samora.

"So, I was thinking that we should invite the others to play. That could be fun."

* * *

"I agree." Samora said trading in two of her cards, "And maybe order a little room service too, because breakfast was...well weird."

-

"Are we going back to the hotel then?" Uri asked Alistair once he had finished looking over the information Mei had given him.

-

"And there is still the matter of Ms. Opar and her brother." Cross said to Adray as he looked over the files on his desk. "I have them under house arrest for the time being, but some kind of disciplinary action needs to happen. Since you seemed partial to their situation, I was hoping you could offer some suggestions."

* * *

"Tell me about it," Liam replied, trading one of his own. "They couldn't have made things more awkward if they made a conscious effort."

-

"Yes, there doesn't seem to be anything else to do," Alistair said, as he tucked away the information from Mei into a briefcase. He got into the car after letting Uri in and set off for the hotel.

-

Adray nodded solemnly. He had worried that Cross would ask him that, but now that he knew Alistair's new assignment he thought he had an idea.

"Why not place the two under Alistair? They can accompany him on his mission and...work off their sentence.

* * *

Cross chuckled softly at Adray's suggestion and rubbed his forehead before nodding his approval.

"I'll have Mei call Alistair tomorrow morning to let him know." He said closing his files and concluding their meeting. "Adray, forgive me if I overstep my bounds here, but what happened? You seem...happy."

-

Samora had to laugh at Liam's comment.

"They seem like they're really good friends though." She said arranging her cards.

* * *

Adray adjusted his collar in an attempt to give himself time to think of the proper answer.

"I've simply been trying to put...things...in the past behind me," he said quietly. He thought of meeting Elisia soon and felt the beginnings of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

-

"Funny way of showing it," Liam replied. "Not that I know much about that..."

Liam mumbled the last part and looked down. He hoped Samora hadn't noticed that and looked up quickly.

"Straight," he said, laying his cards out on the table.

* * *

Samora laid her cards down and gave Liam a wink.

"Straight flush." She put the cards to the side and got up to make the call for room service when a knock came at the door. It was Amara and Ben, Leah had apparently gone to try to wake up Arashi. "Great, we were just thinking about calling you guys."

"Just wanted to check how you were doing." Amara said smiling at the two. "What are you up to?"

"Teaching Liam how to play poker. Want to join us?"

* * *

"Sounds like a good time," said Alistair as he walked up, flashing Amara a charming smile.

"Yeah, join in," Liam said, making room for the others.

-

Elia finished dressing herself up and gave herself a wink in the mirror. She picked up her phone and dialed Aeron

"I'm heading out for my next date with Lasbard," Elia said once he answered. "What have you been doing with your time?"

* * *

"I just finished my reports." Aeron said as he cleaned his gunblade. "Waiting to hear back from FESTANCA and INQUINA. Also waiting for another opportunity to see Samora. Where are you going?"

-

Amara's heart beat faster as Alistair stepped into the room and she hoped they would be able to have some time alone again. She gave him a sweet smile in return and made a point to sit next to him at the table.

"Hello Ben," Uri said leaping onto the bed. "Samora, Liam. I think I'll sit out for now. I've never been too good at this sort of thing."

"I'm game." Ben said taking his seat next to Amara. "I'll deal if it's ok."

Samora passed Ben the cards and watched with an amused grin as he expertly shuffled the deck and passed them out.

* * *

Elia shrugged even though Aeron couldn't see it.

"I dunno. Probably a restaurant or something. I made sure to keep it simple on the first date but I'm thinking I should try to make it more romantic on the second one. What do you think? Is it too soon? Should I be staying in the neutral zone longer?"

-

"What are the stakes?" Alistair asked as he took his cards. He tapped his chin thoughtfully as he contemplated them.

"We should make it interesting," Liam replied, his face hidden by his cards. Alistair looked over at him curiously.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked. Liam shrugged.

"I don't know. Do I have to come up with all the ideas?"

Alistair had to chuckle. The boy certainly wasn't at a loss for verbal jabs.

* * *

Aeron would have considered laughing had it not been a serious situation.

"You have very little time." He pointed out, "Though you don't want to move too quickly to make him suspicious. It depends how this date goes before you can make that call I suppose."

-

Amara studied her cards and looked around the table. Ben was an excellent poker player, but she could tell he didn't have good cards. She guessed that Liam might have a nice hand if he was suggesting high stakes, but she couldn't be sure until she played with him longer. She glanced over at Uri who shrugged and turned his head away.

Well, it's good he's not playing. Amara thought to herself. He can always tell when someone is bluffing.

She took her comb and placed it on the table and Ben gave her a surprised look.

"I bet a personal item." She smiled at everyone around the table. "Anyone care to meet it?"

Samora looked at the comb for a moment before placing her own necklace down.

"I'll take that bet."

* * *

"Yeah, you're right," Elia replied. "I'll just gauge his response and go from there. I've got to go now but I'll call you afterward. Try not to miss me!"

She hung up and set off toward her meeting place with Adray.

-

Alistair blinked in surprise and looked at the two girls.

"Are you sure that's wise?" he asked, particularly concerned for Amara since she seemed very attached to her comb. He also didn't want to have to part with his family's stone rose pendant. Meanwhile Liam felt his breath catch in his throat as his one hand flew up to his mother's locket around his neck.

"If I get their personall items then I may get some leverage with them, but...I could never bet mom's lockett. Not for anything."

He looked up from his cards with concern. Maybe he should just fold like Ben. What to do...

* * *

Samora and Amara studied each other and both smiled at Alistair in turn.

"No..." Samora said.

"...It's not wise." Amara finished for her. Uri picked his head up to check what was happening and frowned when he saw the items on the table. He wanted to object, but stayed quiet curious to see what would happen next.

"Family heirloom." Samora commented about her necklace.

"Right of passage." Amara replied. Both girls nodded to each other unwilling to retract their bets. "So what's it going to be gentlemen?"

Ben looked at Alistair and Liam and shook his head. It was better not to get involved, even if they had suggested high stakes.

* * *

Alistair and Liam exchanged looks.

"Fold," Alistair said, putting his cards down. He wasn't up for those kind of stakes, especially with his hand. Liam continued to look at his cards.

"I have a good hand," he thought. "And if I can get their items then maybe I can get some leverage with them in the future."

Still, his hand trembled as he removed the locket from around his neck and placed it on the table gently without offering any explanation.

"I'm in," he said quietly.

* * *

Both Samora and Amara noticed Liam's expression as he set the locket down with their things and exchanged subtle glances. They each gave a small nod in silent agreement that if they won, they would give the locket back to the boy.

Amara made another check around the table trying to size up the others' hands. Liam must have had a high hand to bet something obviously so special to him, but he seemed too unsure for it to be that high ranking. She was sure there was very little chance it would beat her four of a kind. Samora was a different story. She seemed far too confident to be bluffing and she decided to press a little more to find out.

"I see your bet," Amara said to them, "and I raise you a jem ring."

Samora looked at the pot and contemplated her cards. She had a nice full house, but with how Amara was betting, she wasn't sure it was going to be high enough. Still, she wasn't going to risk losing her necklace if she happened to be bluffing and it was too late to ratract the bet.

She placed a fairy ring in the pot and they looked at Liam to see what he was going to do.

Ben traded looks with Uri who was about to call out what everyone had so no one would lose their things.

This is getting out of hand. He thought tensing up.

* * *

Alistair could see that Uri and Ben didn't approve of what was going on either. But he also knew that they weren't going to be persuaded so he sat back and watched to see how things worked out.

Liam looked at his cards and fished around in his pocket. He pulled out a peace ring and placed it on the table.

"Doesn't seem to do me any good anyway," he thought. He looked at the other two and tried to keep his poker face up even though he was horribly anxious about his mother's locket.

* * *

"I call." Amara said placing her cards down. "Four of a kind."

God damn it! Samora thought biting down on her lip. She set her cards on the table as well.

"Full house." She said rather irked at loosing her necklace, but she gave Amara a smile anyway. "You're good."

"We'll see." She said turning to Liam. "What do you have, Liam?"

* * *

"Flush," he barely managed to say as he placed his cards on the table with trembling hands. He looked at his mother's locket, and quickly blinked away tears.

"I'll be back," he said. He stood up abruptly and left the room. His feet carried him automatically to the stairs and he climbed them to the roof so he could be alone.

-

Alistair frowned at the spot where Liam had been and shook his head.

"What's the point of gambling prized belongings? You can lose something special to you and you're not really gaining anything by taking someone else's."

He fixed a disapproving gaze at the two girls before sighing and folding his arms.

* * *

"That's what gambling is." Samora said rising from her seat. "No body really wins anything."

"But you can learn something though." Amara commented as she got up and walked after Liam to give him the locket back. She tossed Samora back her things as she walked towards the door. "I'll be right back."

After she asked a maid where Liam had gone off to, she followed him up to the roof and sat next to him.

"Why did you bet this if it meant so much to you?" She asked softly holding out the necklace for him to take back.

* * *

Liam snatched ther locket back and cradled it in his hands for a moment before placing it back around his neck and tucking it out of sight.

"You guys were doing it," he said. "I thought that's what adults did, so I wanted to fit in."

It wasn't entirely true, but it wasn't a complete lie so he was able to say it without any real reserve. Hopefully she'd just take it for that.

"Did you look inside it?" he asked very suddenly, frowning at her.

-

"Hey there," Elia said as Adray walked into view, dressed in a navy suit with a grey shirt. He tried to keep it casual by not wearing a tie and unbuttoning the first two buttons.

"Nice to see you again," he said with a faint smile. She looked very beautiful in a matching blue skirt and blouse with a white jacket.

"You too," she said, taking his arm and following him into the restaurant.

* * *

"I see." Amara said leaning back on her hands. "No I didn't look." She studied him for a moment before speaking again.

"You shouldn't gamble something you're not prepared to lose. I don't think she would have appriciated that." She pointed to the locket and smiled warmly. "I really didn't need to look to know she's someone important to you. You probably wouldn't wear it otherwise."

"I'm sorry we pressured you." She said sincerely, "Think you can forgive us for putting you through that?"

* * *

"It's okay," he said, avoiding her gaze. He wanted to be mad at her for presuming to know about his mother, but unfortunately she was right.

"We shouldn't keep the others waiting," he said as he stood up. He didn't want to give her the opportunity to ask about the locket.

-

"You seem a lot more relaxed today," Elia said with a smile to Adray. He gave a small chuckle.

"I am. I...I don't know why you picked me to spend your time with, but I'm glad you did."

Elia placed a hand on his and looked into his eyes.

"Don't sell yourself short. You're really an amazing man."

Adray looked at her and felt warmth spread through his chest.

"Thank you, Elisia."

* * *

When they got back, Samora and Ben were keeping busy playing a game of speed.

"Hah! I'm out!" She cried putting down her last cards.

"Ah man." Ben groaned with a laugh, "I almost had you too."

"Good you're back." Uri said noticing Amara and Liam. She sat down next to him and he whispered to her. "I hope you realize how rediculous that whole thing was."

* * *

"You all right?" Alistair asked Liam quietly as he placed a hand on his shoulder. Liam avoided his gaze but nodded.

"Yeah, thanks."

"Good," Alistair said with a smile. He turned back to the others.

"So, are we still playing?"

* * *

Amara blinked at him and exchanged a glance with Samora who shrugged.

"Sure." Samora said setting up at the table again and Amara took her seat next to Alistair again.

"Are you mad?" She whispered to him.

* * *

Alistair would have laughed if he didn't think she was being absolutely serious.

"Of course not," he replied gently. "I can't be mad at you."

He gave her hand a little rub, then turned back to his cards.

* * *

After a few hands, Leah came in with Arashi.

"Oh hey." She said sitting on the bed next to Uri. "How long have you guys been back? And what's this about you joining RETABLIR?"

Uri proceeded to tell them about the lifestream being contaminated and their new assignment to oversee the launch of the prototype.

"Why didn't you say anything right away?" Amara asked looking from Alistair to Uri.

* * *

Alistair rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Well, I was waiting for a more...opportune moment."

-

"Thanks for dinner," Elia said as she and Adray walked outside.

"It was my pleasure. Do you want me to drive you home?" he asked. Elia hesitated. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea to let him know where she was staying. Well, it couldn't hurt...

"Sure," she replied. Adray helped her into his car, then took of toward her place. A comfortable silence settled over them and they drove all the way there that way.

"Here it is," she said. Adray stopped the car, then helped her out.

"Walk me to the door?" she asked playfully. He smiled and offered her his arm. She took and walked with him to the entrance.

"Thanks for such a great night," she said softly.

"It was my pleasure," he replied. She smirked and closed the distance between them.

"I know."

She stood on her tip toes and gave him a quick, gentle kiss.

"Night," she said before closing the door. Adray put a hand to his lips and sighed.

"Good night."

* * *

"That's great." Amara said after an awkward moment of silence. "I'm happy for you both."

"There has to be more going on than the lifestream beign infected." Leah said, "Sure that explains the disasters, but not the scale of that earthquake. Something else must have caused that."

Amara frowned as Leah spoke and thought back to when the earthquake hit while they were at the Greyrose manor. The planet had cried out and she felt it being ripped apart. What had she seen before she fell unconscious? She tried to remember.

"It wasn't natural." Uri agreed. "There was something evil about it."

* * *

"Now wait," Alistair said, dropping his cards on the table, the poker game forgotten. "You're saying that something - or someone - caused that?"

Liam looked around at the others with interest. So, these people were doing their own investigation of the Planet's crisis.

"What makes you say that?" he decided to ask.

* * *

"It actually does make sense." Ben chimed in. "It seems like the whole planet was hit by the earthquake."

"It was him..." Amara blurted out suddenly remembering what she had seen. She froze in place as the attention shifted to her. "Back at the manor, I saw Sephiroth. It wasn't just him though...he was fighting some-thing. I didn't remember at first..."

"What do you mean you saw Sephiroth?" Samora asked unable to stay quiet any longer. "He's been dead for like eighteen years."

"Exactly." Amara said to her. "I don't know how I saw it, but I could see what was happening in the lifestream. I think that battle was what caused the earthquake."

Why didn't she tell me? Uri thought as Amara spoke.

* * *

Alistair stared at Amara incredulously.

"You mean when you collapsed? You saw Sephiroth fighting someone in the Lifestream?"

He thought back on that incident and it made him wonder about her. Who was she really? And why did she have this strange connection to the Planet?

"I guess that's something we'll...she'll uncover with time."

* * *

"So he's back?" Leah asked, her eyes widening.

"I...don't think so." Amara shook her head slowly, "I think whatever it was...it killed him."

"What could have done that?" Ben rubbed his forehead trying to get a handle on everything he was hearing.

"What is it Amara?" Uri said coming over to her side. He noticed the color had drained from her face and she looked almost sick.

"It saw me..." She said quietly, "Before I passed out, it looked right at me."

* * *

"Are you okay?" Alistair whispered to her as he wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her shoulder with his gloved hand. The action was also meant to steady himself as well as comfort her. The information she was suddenly spilling out was very difficult to process.

"So there's something more powerful than Sephiroth in the Lifestream right now," Liam said, the words coming out as more of a statement than a question.

* * *

"Yeah, I'm fine." Amara said giving Alistair a faint smile.

Ben watched Alistair place his arm around Amara and felt his entire body go weak. He remembered Leah trying to tell him something about Amara while they were in the helicopter, but the subject was quickly dropped when they were attacked. Now he realized what she was trying to say.

This can't be happening. He told himself looking down at the ground. Leah saw his reaction and subtly made her way to his side.

"This isn't the time." She whispered to him, "Get it together."

It wasn't the first time he wanted to punch her, but this time it took special effort not to do it. She was right and he needed to focus on the problem at hand.

"Do you think RETABLIR knows about it?" He asked, his voice shaking slightly.

"There was no mention of any evil entity inhabiting the lifestream." Uri said shaking his head. "But that doesn't mean anything." He thought back to their meeting with the director and said to Alistair. "Perhaps there was something about it in the information that was taken from that scientist."

"You mean Dr. Powers?" Samora said sitting to attention. "That was what Liam and I were trying to find out before. She was assasinated by FESTANCA and her research was stolen. I read a lot of her articles, she lead the research on the lifestream and planetary movement and probably found out something about whatever this thing is."

* * *

"That research could be the key to everything," Alistair said, straightening up. "If only we knew how to get it back."

"Good luck with that," Liam said as he placed his head in his hands. "FESTANCA could have hidden it anywhere. How would we even know where to start?"

"That's true," Alistair replied with a sigh.

* * *

"The only thing we can do right now," Uri said to the group, "is try to do our part to keep the planet from falling apart. We don't know what this thing is and until we do, we won't be able to stop it. Right now it seems to be dormant, or else we would probably be experiencing more disasters like the earthquake. The imediate problem we face is the lifestream being contaminated. Hopefully this new machine will be able to cleanse it and give us more time to figure everything out."

* * *

"Uri's right," Alistair said with a nod. "That's the only option we've got and that's what we have to do."

"But what about the rest of us?" Liam asked, getting caught up in the moment so that he forgot he wasn't supposed to get tangled up with these people. "That's all well and good for you two but not all of us are RETABLIR agents."

* * *

"You're right." Amara said brightening up as she looked at everyone. "But that doesn't matter. We're all together for a reason. Each one of us has a purpose here, maybe it's not entirely clear what that is yet, but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough. I'm not the only one who feels like that am I?"

"No, you're right." Uri said with a nod, "I've been having this feeling that I've known everyone for years. It's so strange, especially when most of us have just met."

Samora glanced around the room and thought about what they were saying. It was bizarre how they all came together, all looking for the same thing and wanting to do something to help their world. Know that she was considering it, it was strange how comfortable she felt with them.

"So..." She said slowly, "what you're saying is that we're IT then? We're the ones who are going to save the planet?"

* * *

"It would certainly seem that way," Alistair replied, a smile playing on his lips. Liam looked at him, then the others.

"So if they think they're going to save the Planet, then they're inevitably going to butt heads with FESTANCA, which means I might just get the perfect chance to take Aeron down. Perfect."

"I'm in," Liam said with a smile as he put his hand out in the middle of the table.

* * *

"Me too." Samora said partially wondering if Aeron would end up joining with them as well. To her surprise, the idea made her heart beat faster and she pushed it aside. No time for that...though Alistair and Amara seem to do alright. Hmm.

"We'll do what we can." Leah said speaking for the two of them. "Right now we're still on recovery detail from the earthquake. In fact, we'll probably be taking off tomorrow for Wutai."

* * *

Alistair felt a little ashamed of himself for being a little relieved about that. Now he didn't have to worry about Ben being around Amara.

"Till the end," he replied, placing his hand in as well. "And I guess you two can be honorary members of...well what should we call ourselves?"

* * *

"Huh." Amara said thinking it over a moment. "It should probably be simple and something that fits us."

* * *

"It should be something to fit our cause," Alistair added.

* * *

"How about PRESUL?" Samora chimed in. "It means protector."

"I like it." Uri said nodding with approval. "Are we in agreement then?"

* * *

"I like the sound of it," Alistair said with a smile. "I think it's fitting."

"Sounds good to me," Liam chimed in.

* * *

There was a glow that filled the room with the new sense of a shared purpose among the small group of friends. Amara felt her mood lifting even though she knew Alistair and Uri would be leaving soon and Ben and Leah wouldn't be there much longer either. But they were all together now and they should enjoy that.

"How about we celebrate?" She piped up, a wide grin spreading across her face. "This is the founding of PRESUL and probably the last night we'll be together for awhile. We should enjoy it while we can."

* * *

Now that they had made their group official, Alistair felt a tangible bond connecting them all. He knew this had to mean something special, and the thought gave him comfort.

"I agree," he said with a wide smile. "What did you have in mind, Amara?"

-

"Hello, Aeron," Elia said once the man answered her call. "So tell me, what exactly are you up to these days while I'm bust taking our biggest opposition down?"

* * *

"I'm bored as hell." Aeron said running his fingers through his hair. "I take it your date went well."

-

Samora perked up when she heard the word "celebrate" but she had to wonder if she and Liam would be allowed to do whatever it was that Amara had in mind.

Alistair is in RETABLIR now, She thought feeling hopeful, maybe he could convince the director to let us join in.

"Something special." Amara replied to Alistair.

"They have a fancy ballroom type resturant upstais." Leah suggested. "We should get dressed up and go dancing." She shrugged as the attention turned to her. "What? I think it'd be fun. I don't get to wear a dress every day."

* * *

"Of course," Elia purred into the receiver. "My dates always go well. So, you want to get a drink? I'm bored too."

-

"Leah's right," Alistair said, thinking of how nice it would be to ballroom dance with Amara. "Let's get ready then and check it out."

Liam frowned, wondering what fun it was going to be for him with everyone dancing but figured this sort of event was something adults did so he would consent to go.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" he asked.

* * *

"Why not?" Aeron said a smile threatening to break at the corner of his mouth. "I'll meet you in a few minutes."

-

"Yes!" Leah cried in victory. "Better come with me ladies. We've got some work to do."

She quickly herded them out of the room then poked her head back in for a brief moment.

"I hope you boys are planning on cleaning up too." She said as more of a command than a comment then ducked back out of the room. Ben sighed and scratched the back of his neck feeling a tad embarrassed as he always did when his sister was involved.

"Sorry about that." He felt compelled to say.

* * *

"Good," Elia said with a grin and hung up.

-

"Sorry for what?" Alistair asked as he put on a black suit jacket and stood in front of the mirror. He made sure his sweater vest and string bow tie were immaculate and smiled at his reflection.

"I think it's a great idea," he added as he stepped away and looked at himself all over. Yes, he was looking forward to a memorable evening.

Liam watched Alistair and laughed to himself.

"I guess that's what adults do when they're interested in someone."

He decided he wasn't going to dress up. It's not like he was going to dance or anything. He'd probably just sit and watch the show.


	12. Chapter 12

Ben felt his stomach churn as he watched Alistair. He couldn't say anything bad about him, or that he didn't like him, but the thought of him with Amara made him sick.

As long as she's happy. He told himself as he slipped on his own suit jacket and smoothed out the sides.

"Leah has a tendancy to be a...bit bossy." He avoided calling her a ** even though she could be, especially to him. But she was his sister and he loved her and he was happy that she had arranged for this dance. He secretly hoped he would be able to single Amara out for at least one, even if he had to stomach watching her with Alistair the rest of the time.

He looked over at Arashi who surprisingly enough was looking wide awake and put together.

Leah will be happy.

His phone beeped and he looked at the display.

"Leah just sent me a message." He informed everyone. "She wants us to go ahead and they'll meet us there."

"Probably wants to make an entrance." Uri observed then looked at Liam. "I guess we're the only ones not dancing then."

* * *

"I think it we'd have a hard time at it," Liam replied with a smile to the wolf-lion.

Alistair walked over to the door and opened it, then turned back to the others.

"Let's not keep them waiting then," he said, unusually cheerfully, and proceeded out of the room and toward the ballroom. Liam gave a shrug to Uri and followed him out of the room.

-

"Hmm...I'm not sure what to get," Elia said as she sat down at the bar. "What are you getting, Aeron?"

* * *

"Pinot gris." He said taking the seat next to her. "Do you even really drink?"

He suddenly flashed back to Samora knocking back the vodka back at her hotel room and he had to keep himself from smirking.

_She is an interesting woman._ He caught himself thinking and quickly shook it off turning his attention back to Elia.

-

"Whoa, this place is amazing." Ben said as he gazed about the massive room. Silk white runners billowed out from the ceiling and stretched down to the pilars that supported the roof and a beautiful crystal chandelier adorned the center of the ceiling. There was a band playing to one side of the room and dining tables were set to the other side leaving a wide area for dancing in between. "I guess Leah wasn't kidding when she said it was fancy."

His phone beeped again.

/Heads up, we're on our way./

"They're coming." He told Alistair and Arashi then took a deep breath to steady himself. If he knew his sister, they would look amazing. 

* * *

"What, you don't think I can?" she asked, shooting him a glare. "Give me a chardonnay."

She took a long sip and smirked.

"I've got to do something to wash away the innocent romantics I've been forced to dabble in."

-

Liam sat in a chair next to Uri and rested his head in his hands. He looked around the room and sighed.

"It is pretty nice up here. I guess it's not a total loss."

He looked over at the other guys waiting for the girls, then at Uri.

"So, Uri, how do wolf-lions uh...court?"

-

Alistair turned to face the door, pulling at his suit jacket nervously. He knew she was going to look beautiful but he was still sure she would take his breath away regardless. He only hoped she would find him equally attractive. He ran a gloved hand through his hair and took a deep breath to calm himself.

"I think that's them," he said as the doors to the ballroom swung open.

* * *

It had been years since Aeron laughed. It was loud and hearty and sounded just  
plain weird. He coughed to silence his sudden outbust and rose his glass to  
Elia.

"I'll drink to that." He said before taking a long sip.

-

Uri blinked surprised at Liam and chuckled.

"Well," He said sitting up, "courting usually involves a male demonstrating  
courage and agility and the female will decide if he is a suitable mate or  
not. Sometimes though, what you'd call marriage is arranged while the  
prospective couple is still young. When they are older they have to prove that  
they are both deserving of the partnership."

-

Leah was the first to enter the ballroom. As soon as he saw her, Ben's eyes widened and all he could do was shake his head. It wasn't that her little black dress was entirely inappropriate, but the plunging v-neck and thigh length hemline would have given their dad a heart attack. It was nice to see that her hair was up and out of her face though.

"What are you wearing?" He whispered as she walked by to stand next to Arashi.

"I'd think it was obvious." She retorted then turned her attention to her date. "You look great."

Samora was the next to enter. She was wearing a strapless cobalt blue dress with a corset. The skirt flared at the hip and came down just above her knees. It looked lovely set against her violet red hair and made her sky blue eyes shine like stars.

"You look beautiful." Ben told her sincerely.

"Thanks." She said smiling at the compliment, though she secretly wished Aeron was there to see her two. She stood next to Leah who nudged her and inclined her head to Alistair and Ben. She was counting on their reactions to be priceless and she wanted Samora as a witness.

After taking a deep breath, Amara lightly stepped into the ballroom. The glowing light from the chandelier shone off her crisp white dress and made her skin look tanned golden by contrast. The straps were thin, the neckline scooped down just low enough to be flattering yet tasteful and her hemline came up above her knees. The dress accentuated her curves perfectly and the skirt swayed gently as she walked. Her black hair was curled and piled loosely atop her head, thick ringlets spilled down her back and hung over her shoulder.

Ben held his breath as he watched her glide past him and stop just a few steps short of Alistair. He felt like he was being stabbed through the heart when he saw her smile shyly at the red head.

"You look amazing." She told him as she fidgeted with her skirt feeling both awkward and pretty in her dress.

* * *

Elia raised an eyebrow at Aeron's behavior but shrugged it off. She took a long sip and sighed.

"I'm surprised you haven't been assigned to something new, or are you staying under the radar so the Triune forgets about you?"

-

"Hmm, that doesn't sound too different from humans really," Liam said as he watched the others. "I wonder if that's instinctive in everyone."

-

"Amara...wow, you look incredible," Alistair said as he took her in. He gave a little bow and offered his hand to her.

"Shall we?" he said smoothly and flashed her a charming grin.

* * *

"I'm surprised as well." Aeron said returning to his comfotable cold demeanor, "I'll probably be getting a new assignment shortly." He took another sip from his wine before continuing. "I doubt the Triune would forget about me even if I wanted them to. It's only a matter of time before my head is on the chopping block. Heh, in fact I'm sure Lau will be the one swinging the ax."

-

Uri nodded in agreement with Liam.

"It is a possibility." He said smiling at the boy, "Although, it really does seem that humans like to complicate things quite a bit."

-

Samora looked at the couple with a tinge of envy. The way they looked at each other was like no one else was in the room with them and it was almost a bit intimidating. It just LOOKED like they belonged together. Then she glanced at Ben and frowned. It was obvious he was not too happy at the moment.

"Hey, you coming?" She asked stepping up to his side and hooking her arm around his.

"Huh?" He said coming out of his depressed daze then gave Samora a friendly grin. "Yeah, sorry about that. Let's go."

-

Amara gingerly took Alistair's hand not caring where he led her to. He looked so handsome and he was so charming it made her breath catch in her chest.

"This was a good idea." She whispered to him then remembered their conversation that morning at breakfast. "Oh, did you have something to tell me? You mentioned you wanted to talk before you left this morning."

* * *

"Don't talk like that," Elia chided him. "Who the hell else am I going to talk to if you're gone?"

-

"That's true," Liam said with a nod. "I guess it's in our nature to make too much of things."

-

"Hmm?"

Alistair was so content just slowly dancing with Amara and watching her that he almost missed her comment.

"Oh, yes. I just...wanted to talk about what happened with you and Uri. I know you're upset about all of it."

He looked at her and remembered the first time they danced. The memory brought a smile to his face.

"Let's not spoil the moment with that though. Let's just enjoy ourselves."

He twirled her around, then dipped her downward, flashing a grin down at her before bringing her back up. 

* * *

Aeron gave her a serious look.

"Or they could order you to do it." He said quietly, then shrugged off the comment, "Everyone is dying Elia, it's just a matter of when."

-

Ben danced absentmindedly with Samora, constantly looking over at Amara and Alistair. Seeing that his attention was divided, Samora let out a labored sigh.

"Why don't you just ask her to dance?" She finally said getting his attention. "I'm sure one dance will be fine."

"Huh?" Ben said coming around, "Oh, no I couldn't leave you alone like that."

"I don't think it'll make much of a difference." She commented lightly with a smirk and he smiled back.

"I'll make it up to you." He said brightening up. "Do you know how to lindy hop?" He laughed at her expression. "It's a type of swing dance. Amara and I used to...ya know, I think I will ask her. Hey, why don't you call Aeron?"

"You think that would be ok?" She asked looking concerned. He nodded and passed her his phone before crossing the dancefloor to where Amara and Alistair were.

-

Uri was watching the scene on the dancefloor with interest and directed Liam to look as well.

"Case in point." He said indicating Ben. "My young friend there is going to make a very rash decision."

-

Amara dipped back against Alistair feeling completely comfortable in his arms. She wanted nothing more than to stay with him like that forever, but the song was quickly coming to its end.

As soon as the music closed, Amara felt a light tapping on her shoulder.

"May I cut in?" Ben asked politely a charmingly boyish smile playing on his lips. Amara gave Alistair a quick glance before accepting the invitation. He quickly told the band what song he wanted and Amara laughed merrily when it started to play.

"Just no flips." She told him indicating the dress and he gracefully conceded blushing slightly.

* * *

"Geez, we're trying to have a good time here. No need to get so macabre," she said, taking the last sip of her chardonnay before ordering another.

-

"He's playing pretty dangerously all right," Liam agreed. "So do wolf-lions know when they're beaten? As far as mating I mean."

-

Alistair frowned as he watched Ben lead Amara away. He knew he was being irrational, but he didn't care. He sighed and saw that Samora was without a partner, but she seemed to be busy trying to call someone so he walked over to where Liam and Uri were to sit. 

* * *

"I'm sorry." He said dryly then finished off the rest of his wine as well. His phone buzzed and he checked it discreetly wondering if he was getting a new assignment already.

"Huh, Samora is calling." He told Elia before answering the phone. "This is Aeron. Really? And that's alright? Very well, I'll see you in fifteen minutes." He hung up and ordered another pinot gris.

"So, what are your plans for tomorrow then?"

-

"They'll persist until the female makes her decision." Uri informed him. He noted Alistair was making his way over to their table and lowered his voice to Liam so Alistair wouldn't hear. "Better not say anything. No need to stir it up any more than it is."

-

After Samora hung up with Aeron, she felt instantly lighter. Then she realised she was standing alone on the dancefloor and decided to go to where Uri, Liam and Alistair were and watch Ben and Amara dance.

"Wow, they're pretty good." She thought impressed. She looked over at Alistair and gave him a friendly smile. Aeron wasn't going to be there for a little while and this music sounded fun. "Do you want to dance?"

* * *

Elia shrugged and set her glass down.

"Well I know he'll want to see me again. I just don't have any particular activity plan. I guess I'll have to make my mind up soon. I don't suppose you have any ideas for dates," she said, trailing off toward the end and smiling slyly.

-

"Yes," Alistair replied cordially and led her out to the dancing area. Liam watched them for a moment, then turned to Uri.

"So, I am gauging this situation right, right? Alistair and Amara have a thing but Ben is hung up on her. So why doesn't he just move on to someone else?"

* * *

Aeron took a long sip from his wine as he thought about it.

"Make yourself vulnerable." He advised. "If he's busy comforting you, he'll forget his own pain for a time. But that's only a suggestion."

-

Uri blinked at Liam considering the question.

"He's cared about her for quite some time now." He said, "Ever since they were kids and he just found out about them. Could you give up something you love so quickly?"

-

Amara let out a laugh as Ben tossed her in the air and whipped her around his back. She landed on her feet gracefully and continued the jig with him without a hitch.

"It's been forever since we've done this!" She said as she swung her hips and kicked in rhythm with Ben. He pulled her into a spin and expertly executed a flip over her as she twirled underneath him. "When did you learn that?"

"I had to improvise." He replied smiling broadly, "Since I can't flip you, ya know."

He finished off the dance with a double suicide dip to the floor seperated by a quick spin. He pulled her back up and beamed at her, both very out of breath from the energetic dance. The room broke out in a cheer as the music concluded and the two blushed on the spot before bowing to the crowd. A cute brunette clapped enthusiastically and gave Ben a shy wave.

"I think you have an admirer." Amara commented spotting the girl and gave Ben a little nudge. "You should ask her to dance."

"I, uh." He glanced from Amara to the girl, "I think I'll just sit out for awhile, that jig took it out of me. Thanks though, Mar." He walked her the table where the others were seated and had to force himself to keep a smile on his face.

-

Samora chuckled as she saw the flip.

"You think he'll teach me that?" She blurted out to Alistair, then quickly tried to recover, "So...you two look really good together, by the way."

* * *

"Oh, good call," Elia replied, giving him a playful punch in the shoulder. "You sure you've never had to do this before?"

-

"No, I guess you're right," Liam said with a nod. "But-"

He saw Ben approaching and cut off the topic.

"So, that was some dancing," he said casually to Ben, hoping not to antagonize him.

-

Alistair had his eyes glued on the other two, but managed to look over at Samora when she spoke.

"Oh...thank you," he said, smiling a bit at her words. "So how long have you and Aeron been...well, together?"

* * *

"Not yet." He said with a smirk then finished off his wine and got up to leave. "If you'll excuse me, I must be going. I'll most likely call you later tonight."

He paid for his drink and cast Elia a brief nod before exiting the building.

-

"Oh, thanks." Ben replied blushing slightly. He took his seat next to Uri and looked out to where Leah had Arashi cornered.

Poor bastard doesn't know what he's getting into. He thought to himself shaking his head.

"She's really interested in him, isn't she?" Amara said after she followed Ben's gaze. "You think he likes her too?"

"I don't know if he has a choice." He said with a shrug and Amara laughed.

"Leah is a great person." She said giving him a playful shove. She looked back to where Alistair and Samora were and excused herself from the others. Ben watched her walk away and felt as if she was tearing his heart apart with every step she took.

"Did you threaten him too?" Ben asked turning his attention to Uri.

"More or less." Uri replied bobbing his head.

-

Samora saw Amara approaching and stepped away from Alistair.

"Thank you for the dance." She told Alistair then turned to Amara, "He's all yours."

After Samora left, Amara offered Alistair her hand.

"Are you up for another dance?" She asked him and as if on cue, the Dark Waltz began to play.

* * *

Liam looked at Uri with amusment.

"You threatened Alistair? Sounds like wolf-lions make things more complicated too."

-

Alistair, who has a bit ashamed to admit it, had been sulking slightly since Amara went off with Ben. Without meaning to, he'd decided that he wouldn't be as pleasant as before to her. However, with her standing right here staring at him with those beautiful eyes, all those ideas flew out the window.

"Yes, let's," he said, taking her hand and beginning to dance.

* * *

Uri chuckled a little.

"I didn't threaten so much as warn." He corrected, "But yes, I suppose we do complicate things as well."

"You just warned him huh?" Ben said frowning. "I was only ten and you just about bit my leg off. I didn't even do anything." He stared out at Amara as she and Alistair began dancing and swallowed hard. "I'm going to get some air."

He rose and walked towards the doors leading out to a large balcony.

"I never bit him." Uri decided to mention after Ben had left them alone.

-

Instead of joining the others again, Samora made her way to the bar to get herself something to drink. After she made her order, she looked back to see Alistair leading Amara in a beautiful dance and also noticed Ben leaving the room to go outside.

I hope he'll be ok.

"Hello Samora." Samora jumped as the words broke her train of thought and turned to see Aeron standing not four feet away from her.

"You've got to stop doing that." She told him trying to concentrate on slowing her heart rate again.

"You look beautiful." He said taking a couple steps forward. She smiled shyly in return and thanked him for the compliment.

"I'm glad you could come." She said unconsciously stepping closer to him. He looked around the room then gazed into her eyes and held out his hand to her.

"Would you care to dance?"

She studied him a moment trying to gauge if he was serious.

"You dance?" She asked slipping her hand into his. He smirked at the question and led her out onto the dancefloor.

-

Amara caught herself getting lost in Alistair's eyes once more as they moved along to the music.

"You're amazing, do you know that?" She spoke softly, almost whispering, "You make me feel so light, just like I'm flying."

* * *

Liam laughed at Uri's statement.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," he said teasingly as he gave a fake shrug.

-

"You've got to stop flattering me or I'm going to start thinking it's true," he said with a playful grin. He turned her around and brought her back against his chest as they stepped in time to the music.

"I love everything about you, you know," he breathed in her ear before planting a fleeting kiss on her neck. "It's enough to take my breath away." 

* * *

Amara shut her eyes as she felt his lips brush against her ear and her breath caught in her chest when she realised what he said. She barely had time to obsorb his words when he pressed his lips against her neck sending her heart racing a thousand miles. She leaned back against his chest loving the feeling of him being so close and turned her head to look back at him.

"You've already taken my breath away." She whispered, "My breath, my heart, everything...it's yours if you want it."

* * *

"Nothing would make me happier," he said before capturing her lips in a quick kiss. He pulled away before he could get too into it, and smiled at her. Less than a week ago he was totally alone, and now he was so strongly attached to this girl that it made him dizzy.

"I love you," he said softly. He felt he had to say it while the moment was so perfect and he still had the nerve.

* * *

Uri watched Amara and Alistair and grumbled.

"I may need to go complicate things again." He told Liam getting ready to sprint to where they couple were dancing and make some excuse to get Amara away from him before things could escalate any further.

-

As soon as his lips pressed against hers, Amara felt her legs go weak and her head started swimming. She was as close to heaven as was possible and didn't think the moment could get any better until he told her he loved her.

Is this real? She thought feeling as though she was melting away.

"I lo-"

"Sorry to interrupt." Amara jolted back to reality and was suddenly aware that Leah was talking to her. She felt her face flush with annoyance at her friend and wanted to scold her, but Leah continued on despite the venomous stare Amara was giving her. "I've been getting some requests for your special dance, Amara. I've already spoken with the band and they're ready after this song is over. You'll get her back in a minute, Alistair. Might as well enjoy the show. Come on."

She snatched her hand and pulled her away from the redhead. Amara gave Alistair a desperately sorry look as she was dragged to the stage area.

"Are you out of your &%*in' mind?" Leah asked while keeping a happy grin on her face. Amara blinked at the question and frowned. "You've only known him four days and you're going to tell him you love him?"

"What? You're one to talk!" Amara hissed trying to pull her hand away, but Leah jerked her back and looked her straight in the eye.

"It's not the same thing and I'll tell you why." She said under her breath so the other dancers wouldn't hear the conversation, "I like Arashi, I really do, but that doesn't mean I love him. Even if I did, it still wouldn't be the same because I know who I am and what I'd be offering. You don't. Even though you two have this undeniable, fairy-tale, sickeningly sweet romance thing happening, that doesn't change the fact that you're still missing a very important piece of yourself. And when you find it, it might turn out that it's something you can't share. And of course it might not be like that, but you shouldn't commit something you're not even sure you can give. He doesn't deserve that."

Amara felt her fury deminishing with Leah's harsh words and couldn't help but agree with them, even though she was still upset that she barged in on her moment with Alistair.

"So why am I dancing?" Was all she managed to say in return.

"Well, for starters Aeron just got here and I don't want things getting tense again." Leah inclined her head to where Aeron was tangoing with Samora. "Huh, he's not half bad. And for another thing, Ben isn't in a good mood and I don't want to deal with him moping all night."

"Why, what's wrong with Ben?" Amara asked clearly concerned and a little confused because he seemed fine while they were dancing.

"I really can't tell you." Leah replied as the music came to a close. "But the best way to ensure everyone enjoys tonight is for you to do your thing. Now get out there and shake it!" She gave her a quick slap on her butt, which made Amara jump, before addressing the entire room.

"Good evening everyone! My friend would like to treat us to a very special dance that she performs every year for a festival in Cosmo Canyon. So please, give your undivided attention to Miss Amara Eilian."

Leah led the room in a small applause before stepping away and walking back to the table where everyone had started gathering.

"What's going on?" Samora asked Leah as she approached.

"It's a special ability of hers." Leah whispered. "When she's in battle she can inflict status ailments with her dancing, but when she's actually performing it's instantly calming and almost euphoric. Kinda like some bizarre, hypnotic drug." She then proceded to shush her and nodded to in Amara's direction indicating she was ready to start.

* * *

Alistair felt aheavy weight press on his chest as Amara was ripped away from him by Leah. He stood in the same place, rooted, till Leah dragged her out of sight. He sighed and walked over toward the others till he saw that Uri had a look that made Alistair think he had been watching them.

"Oops..."

He steered away from Uri and sat at the end of the group, watching to see Amara's special dance. At least she would be doing it alone this time, and not with some other guy.

-

Liam, who had been watching Samora and Aeron dance with a sickening feeling, turned to watch Amara dance. He didn't think he was going to be able to focus very well. He had hoped that Aeron would become attached to Samora so that he would be sure to be close at hand, but he hadn't anticipated Samora becoming attached to him. This could possibly get very ugly.

"I still have to do what I set out to do, regardless of Samora," he thought, nodding his head slightly to increase his conviction. He shook away his thoughts and tied to pay attention to Amara's dance.

* * *

Amara suddenly felt very self-conscious, but Leah had effectively made it so  
she couldn't decline. She had danced in front of crowds before, but they  
already knew what to expect. These people were probably expecting some kind of  
hokey folk dance and they were going to be very much surprised.

She listened as the music began to play and focused on her breathing. She  
threw a quick glance over at Alistair and gave him a smile before taking her  
first steps.

-

Ben heard the familiar music began to play and he slowly made his way back inside and took a seat next to Uri.

"Why is she dancing now?" He asked him partially excited to see it again.

"Leah." Uri replied and Ben nodded in understanding.

-

The music was eerie and held a strange power behind it. Aeron watched carefully as Amara gracefully shifted in place, stepped, whirled and plie then straightened and whirled again.

As he continued to watch, it almost appeared as if a faint light was eminating from her and steadily becoming brighter. As the dance went on, he noticed that Amara had been singing. Her voice matched the music so well, he almost didn't catch it, but now he realised that was why the music sounded so haunting and eerie.

He glanced down at Samora to see if she noticed and blinked in surprise to see that she and the others were swaying in time to the melody. What surprised him even more was that he had been swaying as well. He surveyed the room and found that it was the same for everyone present, even those at the bar that were not watching.

The room was beginning to look hazy and he felt as if the wine he had drank earlier was catching up to him, but it wasn't his vision, the room was literally becoming hazy. The atmosphere was actually becoming charged with energy.

* * *

"She's incredible," Alistair whispered as Amara continued her dance. Everything in the room seemed to grow hazy and swimmy but she seemed to remain perfectly clear, and he found he couldn't tear his eyes away from her, not that he wanted to. She was hypnotically beautiful and her voice was mesmerizing and it all combined into the most breath-taking experience  
Alistair had ever had.

* * *

Amara had fallen into the routine as she normally did, letting the music move her along like an invisible guide leading her through the steps. But this time, along with the usual serenity she expirienced as she danced, there was a lingering excitement from when Alistair had told her he loved her. As she glanced around the room, she could tell it was effecting the mood the dance was creating.

When the dance came to its end, there was a long silence as everyone seemed to be caught in a daze. Then finally a loud standing ovation flooded the room and Amara took a bow before joining the others.

"That was amazing!" Samora exclaimed.

"Indeed." Aeron commented continuing to feel the drunken effects of the dance. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"I don't know, I've just always been able to."

"Not like that." Leah said smiling broadly, "That was...different. I feel like my head is swimming."

"I guess you could say I was inspired." Amara replied glancing over to Alistair. Ben noticed the look, but could not help but feel euphoric despite the fact he knew he should be heartbroken.

* * *

Alistair wanted to go over and embrace Amara, the effect of the song still stirring his blood and removing all reservations. However, he had a very sharp mind and managed to keep in control. It wouldn't be wise to do anything in front of Uri. Instead, he contented himself to gaze at her and smile.

Adray sat down on his bed and picked up the picture of Cynthia he had on his stand. He gazed at it for a long time, then placed it down again and smiled. For the first time, he didn't feel strangled by the great sadness he always felt. It was still there; he knew it wouldn't go away so easily. But he felt that with time Elisia could truly heal his wounds. The thought of her  
brought a tug to his heart that he hadn't felt in a while, but he decided not to dwell on that. Not yet.

* * *

Uri felt so relaxed, he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. He had a feeling he was going to sleep well tonight and that worried him to a degree. Since Amara had that nightmare the night before, he wanted to be alert for her and his current state of mind made that difficult.

"What do you think I should do?" He asked Liam after voicing his concern. "Usually I sleep light enough anything can wake me up, but when I feel this relaxed I could sleep through an earthquake."

-

"Hey Alistair." Ben said feeling good enough to be pleasant to him, "Can I buy you a drink?"

* * *

"I'm sure she'll be okay," Liam assured Ui, somewhat surprised that the wolf-lion was confiding in him. He thought of suggesting that Alistair watch her instead as a joke, but figured Uri wouldn't take that well.

"If there's anything wrong with her, you'll wake up in time. You guys are so in tune that I wouldn't doubt it."

-

Alistair regarded Ben curiously, then shrugged.

"Sure, I guess that's all right. Uh..thank you."

* * *

"I suppose you're right." Uri said not entirely convinced. His thoughts circled back to that morning when he decided to join RETABLIR and he realized how difficult it was going to be to leave her alone. He was sure she would be fine, but he had gotten so used to her presence, it would be like losing a part of himself. The thought was just enough to break through the haze his mind was swimming in and he jumped down from the chair and bounded over to Amara.

"Hey you." She said running her fingers underneath his jaw. "Having fun?"

"Yes actually." He replied keeping his tone casual. He took a seat next to her and licked her cheek.

"What was that for?" She asked with a little giggle.

"I just love you, you know." He said with a little smile. She gave him a warm smiled in return and hugged his neck.

"I love you too, Uri." She whispered into his mane.

-

"So what'll ya have?" Ben asked Alistair as he leaned against the bar counter.

* * *

"I'll have a red burgundy," Alistair replied and waited till the bartender turned to get their drinks. He sighed, figuring what the conversation was going to be, and turned to face Ben.

"So, was there something you wanted to talk about? I assume you weren't just in a generous mood."

* * *

Ben gave Alistair an amused look.

"Why not?" He asked nonchalantly. Just because you're with a girl I've been in love with since I was ten? "Last I checked we were on the same team." 

* * *

"Right..." Alistair said, taking a sip of his drink.

"Which team would that be?" he thought with a growl. "Smartass backstabber."

"Was that it then?" he asked, getting ready to turn and leave.

* * *

"Actually I'm kinda interested in the program that you and Uri are overseeing." He said then took a sip of his tea. "What do you think the success rate will be?"

* * *

Alistair could feel himself unconsciously grinding his teeth.

"What, is he trying to figure out the chances of me dieing so he can move in on Amara?" he thought with a flash of anger. However, he managed to keep his cool, though just barely.

"High enough," he said coolly with a sip of his own drink.

* * *

Ben noticed that Alistair seemed tense, which was odd considering the effects of the dance were still present.

He must really not like me. He thought feeling a bit of satisfaction.

"I just hope that it all works out." He replied. "For all our sakes."

* * *

"Indeed," Alistair replied frostily, bringing his glass to his face to hide his expression. He turned his head away from his present annoyance and spied Amara over with the others. Just looking at her lightened his mood and he could feel the effects of her dance settling over him again.

"She is something else," he thought with a smile. 

* * *

Feeling emboldened by the blissful atmosphere, the cute brunette that had waved at Ben before decided to approach him.

"Excuse me." She said shyly, "I saw you dancing before and I thought you were great and I was hoping you would like to dance with me."

"I, uh, I..." He stuttered trying to think of an excuse so he wouldn't hurt her feelings. He really had no interest in dancing with anyone other than Amara, but he caught off guard and couldn't think of a good enough excuse other than blurting out he was gay and slinging an arm around Alistair. _Hell no!_ "Um...sure."

He reluctantly stood and offered the girl his arm.

"Nice talking with you Alistair."

* * *

"Oh no, the pleasure was all mine," Alistair said in a completely posh voice as he watched Ben get dragged away by the brunette. He took the last sips of his drink and went to look for Amara again, hoping to get some alone time.

"All danced out?" he asked her with a grin when he reached her. 

* * *

"Not at all." Amara replied standing to her feet. She coiled her arms around his and rested her hand against his chest as they walked out to the dance floor. "I'm so glad we met."

It amazed her how good she felt when she was with him. There was no doubt in her mind that she loved him and she wanted to stay close to him for as long as she could.

* * *

"So am I," he said with a contented sigh. He suddenly realized that he had said he loved her but she hadn't reciprocated. He thought that maybe she was going to before but she didn't seem to bring it up. The thought made him frown, but he hid it from her. He didn't want her getting upset over it.

-

"How go the preparations," Silyl asked Elia over the phone.

"He's falling for me easily. I'll have him under my control very soon," she replied.

"Excellent," Silyl replied, a cruel smile crossing his face. 

* * *

Aeron had been watching Amara very carefully after her dance. There was something strange about her, but he could not place what it was exactly.

She is powerful and doesn't even realize it. He thought frowning, concerned about what would happen when she finally did realize it. She may become too much of a risk.

"Mmm." Samora sighed contentedly, snuggling up to Aeron as they sat togther. "This is nice."

He hadn't noticed that he was running his fingers through her hair and now was tracing the line of her collarbone. As soon as he came to his senses, he pulled his hand away causing her to frown up at him.

"Is something wrong?" She asked, her blue eyes catching the light from the chandelier.

"No, it's nothing." He replied, reluctantly placing his hand back on her shoulder. He glanced back to where Amara was dancing with Alistair and frowned. "Nothing at all."

-

"Have you gotten a report from Elia?" Vigdis asked walking up to Silyl.

* * *

Liam was trying to appear as though he wasn't watching Aeron and Samora. It was alarming to see how fast she was becoming to this total stranger, this monster in human form.

"What's he planning for her?" he thought nervously. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. He couldn't risk revealing too much to her, but he couldn't just turn a blind eye and see her get destroyed.

"Samora?" Liam asked, tugging on her sleeve. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

-

"Indeed," Silyl replied, chuckling to himself. "Everything is proceeding as planned. As expected, my schemes are flawless."

* * *

"Hmm?" Samora turned to Liam and smiled. "Oh yeah, sure."

"I should be going anyway." Aeron said rising with the two. Samora gave him a disappointed look and grabbed his hand.

"But you just got here." She protested surprised by the displeasure in her voice. Aeron blinked at her in surprise and she reluctantly released his hand. "Let me walk you out at least. I'll be right back, Liam."

"Liam," He said with a nod, "Have a good evening."

-

"I'm glad to hear it." She said flashing him an evil grin. "I've spoken with a contact at FESTANCA, it seems they are ready to release the soldiers for a field test. Their first target is a small villiage in Wutai. It should prove to be interesting."

* * *

Liam gave a curt nod and watched the two walk out. He hated having to see, or especially talk to that man. Why fate would have him tortured in this way seemed beyond cruel. He walked back over to the others and sat down next to Uri.

"Did everyone get up to dance again?" he asked.

-

"That it should," Silyl replied with a satisfied nod. "Things are proceeding smoothly then. However, there's still the matter of this rogue group who has the potential to ruin all that we've established. We must take certain procautions to see that they do not interfere."

* * *

"It seems that way." Uri said looking after Samora and Aeron, "Where are they going?"

-

"Oh yes," Vigdis agreed, "We'll have to kill them, to be sure. The question is how and when?"

-

"You want to step out for a minute?" Amara asked Alistair gesturing out to the balcony then gave him a sly smile. "It's getting a little warm in here, don't you think?"

* * *

"I wish I knew," Liam said, his voice sounding more deflated than he meant. The whole situation was getting to him. People his age shouldn't have to deal with this kind of stress.

-

"That remains to be seen," Silyl said, pacing slightly. "We need to know more about each of them. Each individual will need to be treated differently. The question is how to get more information on them. Where is Aeron? He's been investigating them more closely, hasn't he?"

-

"Yes, I quite agree," Alistair said with a subtle wink. He followed her out and leaned on the balcony, gazing up at the stars.

"I love the evening sky," he said quietly.

* * *

Samora walked Aeron to the elevator and watched as he pressed the down button.

"I guess I'll see you later then." She said biting her lower lip. He gave her an amused look and rubbed the pad of his thumb over the lip she was knawing on.

"You should be careful," He told her, "you'll end up drawing blood chewing on it like that."

"Wouldn't be the first time." She said with a little laugh. She took his hand in hers and used the other to pull him in for a kiss. The kiss lingered until the elevator pinged and the doors slid open. She threw a quick glance to see if anyone was riding it, when she saw there was none, she pulled him into the elevator and closed the doors.

"What are you doing?" He asked trying to catch his breath.

"I don't know." She replied breathing hard. Realizing she was still feeling swimmy, she backed away from him. "I'm sorry."

He studied her for a moment, then took a step forward and smoothed the hair away from her face. Reaching over to the controls, he hit the STOP switch and the elevator power shut down. Drawing her in, he pressed his lips against hers and brought his hand around her waist to pull her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and parted her lips to deepen the kiss.

I must be crazy. She thought running her nails through his hair.

-

"Indeed he has." Vigdis said nodding her head. "In fact, I believe he is in the perfect position to gain the information we need."

-

"It is beautiful." Amara agreed. "The stars aren't as bright here though. You should see them in the canyon. It's like sitting up in space."

* * *

"Excellent," Silyl said, rubbing his hands. "We'll weed them out one by one. What do we have so far?"

-

"I'm sure it's amazing," Alistair agreed. "Hopefully, someday I can visit there with you..."

He turned and smiled at her, drinking in her beauty in the moonlight.

* * *

"According to what he's sent us so far," Vigdis said leaning back against the council table. "The pilot and engineer are leaving for Wutai as a matter of fact. The mage and wolf-lion appear to have joined with RETABLIR. He hasn't sent us any information about the black haired girl yet and the narcoleptic boy doesn't seem to have made plans at t his point."

-

"Of course you will." Amara said leaning against the railing. "I wasn't even going to give you a choice." She gave him a wink and a smile and slowly edged closer to him until their arms were touching. She gently slid her hand over his and curled her fingers around his.

* * *

"I see," Silyl replied, stroking his chin. "Let's see if our soldier project can't kill two birds with one stone then. Meanwhile we'll target the mage and wolf-lion whenever they leave Edge. In the meantime, we'll see if we can't have Aeron collect more information on the girl. At this point I'm not too concerned with a sleep-deprived teenager."

-

"How can I argue with that," Alistair said with a chuckle. He really wanted to kiss her again but contented himself to just be close to her like this.

* * *

Amara leaned her head against Alistair's shoulder and sighed contently.

"What was it like growing up in the manor?" She asked wanting to get to know him better.

* * *

"It was sheltered, but it was pleasant. I had loving parents and was never wanting for anything so I've always been happy. That was up until my father died..."

Alistair trailed off, then looked up at the stars with a sigh.

"After that it began to feel like a dog house. You still feel comfortable there but you can't help but feel that you're chained and bound to it."

* * *

"Remember what I asked when we first met?" Amara said turning to him. "About if you liked living there and you said that you were desiring a change of scenery and wanted to find your purpose? It was a terrible way for it to happen, but your house being destroyed may have been the only way you were freed from there. And now, you definately have a change of scenery and you've found a purpose."

She brushed her hand against his face and carressed his cheek.

"It's strange how things work out."

* * *

"Yes, it is," he said softly, gazing into her eyes. He felt the usual energy he felt between them building up again but wasn't sure if it was best to initiate anything. He was still a gentleman and didn't want to take advantage of her at all. He lifted his hand up and enclosed it over hers so as to keep it against his cheek longer.

"No matter what happens, I'm so glad I met you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper since just looking at her seemed to use up all his energy. 

* * *

Gazing into his eyes made her feel so warm and happy. She guessed it was what people called coming home, like she belonged there and no where else. Leah's warning echoed in her mind and she held back a moment not wanting to do anything that might hurt him. But she knew how she felt now and she couldn't believe that whatever she found out could change that. Having made up her mind, she spoke softly to him almost in a whisper.

"I love you."

She tilted her chin up and gently pulled his face down until their lips met.

* * *

Alistair felt his heart swell like it was going to burst.

"She loves me?"

He could hardly control his thoughts. But then suddenly her lips were on his and he was pulling her close to him as he kissed her back with all the passion that his gentlemanly nature would allow.

* * *

Amara's heart began to race and electricity coursed through her veins as Alistair pulled her closer to him. She hugged her body tightly against his and brought her hands up around his neck. She had no fear of this moment going too far, he was too much a gentleman for that and besides they were still only a few feet away from their friends.

Still, she wanted to enjoy this time with him as much as she could before someone, either Alistair himself or one of their well-meaning friends, decided to break it up.

-

_My god, I can't leave them alone for two minutes!_ Uri thought looking out to the balcony where the two were sharing a passionate kiss. He let out a low growl and shook his body making his fur fluff up. _I'm giving them five more minutes. They better be happy with that!_

Just as he was getting ready to start padding his way over to them, Samora came sauntering into the ballroom and back to her seat. She looked somewhat disheveled and had an uneven smile set on her face. As she sat down, her hair shifted enough away from her neck to expose a patch of reddened skin. He narrowed his eyes at her and snorted and she quickly recovered the area, blushing slightly.

"So Liam." She said with a little cough, "Did you want to talk to me about something?"

* * *

Liam took in her appearance and felt a wave of nausea hit him. She might be in too deep now. She probably wouldn't even listen to his warning.

"Yeah, but I think it's a little too late now," he said, his face showing undisguised disapproval.

* * *

Samora frowned at Liam's disaproval. True, there was no denying she rushed into things, but what business was it of his? She let out a long, deep sigh and then stood back up.

"I think I'm going to turn in now." She announced smoothing out the creases in her dress. "Good night, Uri! Liam, I guess I'll see you in the morning. Probably shouldn't stay up too long."

Uri bid her goodnight as well before she turned and left. He looked out to the dancefloor where Ben was being bombarded with dance requests from several young ladies and Leah and Arashi were dancing dangerously close together. His eyes flickered out to the Balcony again where still locked in an embrace and he let out a heavy sigh.

"What a night." He said shaking his head.

* * *

"Yeah," Liam agreed, watching Samora leave. Perhaps glaring would be the more appropriate word.

"If that's how she's going to be, then fine. I don't need to look out for her. I only have one person to look out for, and only thing I need to do."

After mentally writing Samora off, he turned to Uri and gave a fake smile.

"Are you guys going to bed then?"

* * *

"I think that would be for the best." Uri said scanning the room once more. "I'll have to go round them up." Which none of them will appriciate...except for maybe Ben. "Be right back. Wish me luck!"

-

"Elia." Aeron spoke into his phone once he heard her pick up. "I've had an interesting night."

* * *

"Will do," Liam said, laughing a little in spite of himself. He decided to wait for the others in order to give Samora enough time to get to bed so he wouldn't have to deal with her, at least not for tonight.

-

"Interesting, huh?" Elia said, smirking with amusement. "Would that be interesting as in arousing curiosity or *ahem* interesting."

* * *

Uri decided to save Ben first who, at catching sight of him, mouthed the words "Help Me!" with a look of desperation.

"Alright, ladies!" He barked at them making them jump back. "Way past this little one's bed time. Go on now!"

They quickly scattered, albeit begrudgingly, and Ben gave Uri an appriciative grin.

"Little one?" He repeated, "Technically I'm older than you..." Uri nipped at his heel with a little growl, "Ok, ok! I'm just sayin'."

As he walked away, Uri charged between Arashi and Leah and gave them the message that it was time to call it a night. With some colorful objections, they left as well.

Now for the fun part. He thought sarcastically and padded out to the balcony.

-

"The latter." Aeron said rubbing the back of his neck. "I refuse to give details, so don't ask. Suffice to say, I think she is sufficiently attached to me now." 


	13. Chapter 13

Alistair, who has a bit engrossed in what he was doing, just barely felt on the edge of his consciousness that someone was approaching. He reluctantly broke away from Amara, very breathless, and turned to see Uri only a few paces away.

"Oh god..."

-

Elia made no effort to restrain her laughter and took several moments to roll about the sofa she was laying on before she came back to the phone.

"Yes, I'm sure she's very attached to you. I must say, this is a new approach for you, isn't it? Very...*ahem* interesting."

* * *

The sudden break made Amara gasp for air. She was about to ask him what was wrong when she heard Uri approaching. She quickly turned to see him standing in place with a look of sheer displeasure. Even though it was not even close to being funny, Amara burst out in a fit of giggles.

_I knew it!_ She thought trying to calm herself. Uri's frown deepened and she tried to explain herself.

"I'm sorry, Uri." She said between giggles, "You're just so serious."

"Amara!"

"*Ahem* ...Sorry... *hehe*." She pursed her lips to hold back the laughter. "I guess it is getting pretty late. Goodnight."

She walked away and whispered for Uri to be nice, spun around, crossed her arms over her heart and mouthed "I love you." to Alistair before entering the building again, a blissfully happy smile adorning her face. Uri stayed back, looking at Alistair with a very cold stare.

"You and I have a busy morning ahead of us, I'm sure." He said evenly, "Best get some rest."

-

"It definately has been a new expirience." Aeron responded. "I have new information to give the triune and this time I would call it arousing curiosity."

* * *

"Yes...rest..." Alistair said, tugging at his collar. "Well I'll get right on that then."

He attempted a smile and strolled past Uri, heading for his room.

"Back to square one," he thought with a sigh.

-

"Let's just hope curiousity is all it arouses," Elia said with a snicker.

* * *

"As a matter of fact," Aeron went on ignoring Elia's previous comment, "you might be interested in the information as well. I'm sure you remember the black haired girl..."

He went on to tell her about the dance and the strange power that she possessed.

-

Amara was still smiling like a fool when she joined the others. It took a moment to notice that Aeron and Samora were no longer present.

"Hi Liam." She said coming around, "Did Samora already head off to bed?"

* * *

"Hmm...I think the Triune will definitely be interested," Elia said, her voice serious now. "That's a pretty unusual power."

-

Liam looked up at Amara and tried not to grimace at the sound of Samora's name.

"Yeah, she's gone," he murmured. "I think everyone's getting ready to turn in."

* * *

"I'll report to them as soon as I'm done speaking with you." Aeron said spinning the ring on his finger with his thumb, "From what I understand though, things will become easier for you with Lasbard after tomorrow. After the Highwind kids leave for Wutai, the mage and wolf-lion will most likely be sent out on their assignments. I'm not entirely sure what will happen with  
Amara at this time, but from how they were talking, I suspect she will not be staying in the city for long."

-

Amara nodded in agreement and turned to Leah and Ben.

"I guess you two are taking off?" She asked beginning to feel a little more normal.

"Yeah, we'll head over to the base for tonight." Leah said obviously disappointed to be leaving so soon. "Why don't you stop by tomorrow around o-seven-hundred before we leave? We can wait to say good-bye until then."

Amara agreed and told them good night as they turned and left. She waited for Uri and Alistair to come back before leaving as well. When they got to their room, she gestured for Uri to go into the room ahead of her so she could say goodnight properly. Reluctantly he went ahead and left them alone.

"You have thirty seconds." He said under his breath to her before she closed the door behind him.

* * *

"That's good to hear," Elia said with a nod. "If the girl is going to leave the city on her own, that might be the perfect time for her to be taken out of the equation, unless the Triune thinks she'll have some use."

-

Alistair chuckled awkwardly at Uri's words and turned to Amara.

"I guess this is it," he said softly, his eyes saddening at the words.

* * *

tas

Amara giggled and jumped forward into a hug.

"Don't worry about Uri." She whispered softly, "He'll be fine." She pulled back and looked into his eyes.

"He just needs to get used to the idea. This is all pretty new, afterall."

* * *

night

"Okay," Alistair replied, smiling gently at her. "Sweet dreams."

He waited till she closed the door, then sighed and went to his own room.

"Tomorrow...everything is going to change again..."

-

Liam stopped outside his shared room and stared at the door.

"Hopefully she's asleep," he thought sourly. He opened the door and slipped in  
quietly. 

* * *

tas

Samora was already in bed when Liam entered the room. She was very tired, but hadn't been able to fall asleep. She listened as he quietly walked through the room and was sure not to say anything. The last thing she wanted was a lecture. She shut her eyes tightly and tried to fall asleep.

-

"RUN!"

Amara sat bolt upright and gasped for air. She was clasping at the bed sheets so hard, her fingers were practically tearing through the fabric. The nightmare had woken her again and it took a few minutes for her to get her bearings. She looked over to the bed next to hers and saw Uri's sleeping form.

"Uri?" She said in a hushed tone. When he didn't wake up she spoke louder, then got up and shook him. She would have thought he was dead if it wasn't for his snoring. She didn't think she could fall asleep again just yet and she didn't want to stay cooped up in the room.

She wrapped up in the wrobe the hotel provided and decided to go for a little walk to wear herself out.

* * *

night

Liam curled up in his bed and stared angrily at the wall.

"She wants him? That's fine. I just need her to get to him. Whatever happens to her is her problem."

He shut his eyes tightly and willed himself to sleep.

* * *

Amara made her way down to the swimming pool and decided to just sit at the edge for awhile. She usually felt calm around water and hoped it would help settle her nerves. She lowered her legs into the water and wondered why she was having the dreams again. Something had to have triggered them, but what?

She started kicking her legs back and forth as she stared into the water. Little wakes rippled away from her legs as she moved them and she suddenly had a very intense feeling of de'ja'vou. She jolted as a strong image flashed in her mind.

She was in a dark tunnel, wading through what seemed like a river, trying to hurry. The current was strong and was level with her chest. She held her breath as the water splashed up in her face and tried to drag her down. She needed to keep upright, had to fight the urge to cry for help, they would hear her. There was someone else there with her, a girl her age, and she was badly hurt and bleeding. The girl was whimpering with pain and scared, she lost her footing and grabbed at Amara trying to get an anchor hold, but caused her to lose her footing instead. They went under together grasping wildly for handholds.

Amara breached the surface of the pool and took in a giant breath of air. She had fallen in and struggled to pull herself out. Once she was on the concrete she coughed violently, her lungs trying to expell the water they had inhaled.

* * *

Liam awoke with a start, covering his mouth to not scream. He'd dreamed about his mother's death again. He thought for a moment that he was going to be sick, but he breathed slowly and felt his nerves relax slightly.

"I've been waiting too long," he thought, digging his nails into his palms. He couldn't wait around anymore. He needed to take action.

"Aeron is with FESTANCA. FESTANCA wants these people, PRESUL. I need to give FESTANCA want they want so I can get to what I want."

He looked over at Samora's sleeping form and glared at her.

"You should have listened when you had the chance."

* * *

Amara tip-toed back into her room and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Uri was still asleep. She quickly stripped off her wet clothes and threw them into the bathtub, got on some fresh pajamas and slowly eased herself under the covers.

She curled up on her side and stared out the window to the city skyline, her eyes unable to close after her expirience at the pool. There was no way she could sleep now, or ever for that matter. She was terrified to relive those images and what made it worse was that was all she could remember. She was stuck in that terrible cycle and couldn't get out.

I can't tell Uri. She thought pulling the covers tighter. He'll just worry and he needs to be focused on his assignment. He needs to be there for Alistair. I'll just have to deal with this by myself.

* * *

Alistair awoke the next morning with a small sigh as he watched the sunlight pour in through the window.

"This is it," he thought, running his hand through his hair. He quickly got dressed and went over to Amara and Uri's room. After a light rap with his knuckles, he leaned closer to the door and spoke.

"Amara? Uri?"

* * *

Amara had been up and dressed for over an hour when she heard the knock at the door. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and frowned. There were large dark circles around her eyes and she looked pale.

Can't be helped. She thought before she shook Uri again.

"Wh-what?" Uri asked rolling over onto his stomach and yawning. He stretched out and smacked his mouth before regaining his senses and noticed Amara. "What happened to you?"

"Nothing, didn't sleep very well." She told him then opened the door and instantly felt her mood lift when she saw Alistair. "Good morning."

* * *

"Good morning," Alistair said brightly, in spite of the hanging gloom of their inevitable departure. He noticed dark circles around her eyes and immediately frowned.

"Are you all right? You look like you didn't get any sleep," he asked, concerned. He brought his gloved hand up and tucked her hand behind her ear so as to see her face better.

"You know you can tell me," he added softly.

* * *

Amara swallowed feeling the fear well up inside her again as she thought about the dark tunnel.

"I just didn't sleep well." She managed to say as she stepped around him, "I'll meet you guys at RETABLIR. I told Leah I'd see her and Ben off." She gave Alistair a quick peck on the cheek before escaping from whatever questions she knew they would ask.

"She was at the pool." Uri said catching a wiff from her clothes in the tub, "I don't know when, I must have really been out of it." He shook his head disappointed with himself. She must have had the nightmare again. But why wouldn't she want to talk about it?

* * *

Alistair heard Uri and walked into the room. He inspected the clothes and tapped his chin thoughtfully. Something wasn't quite adding up.

"Why would she go into the pool with all her clothes on?" he asked aloud. With all the strange things happening to her, he hoped she hadn't become a danger to herself. 

* * *

Cross was looking over his itinterary for the day and saw that he needed to call Alistair and Uri to let them know they would be getting two new assistants for the project. He laughed to himself and told Mei to give Alistair a call.

* * *

Alistair felt his phone vibrate and turned away from Uri to answer it.

"This is Alistair. Hello, Mei. What did you need to tell me?"

* * *

"Good morning Mr. Greyrose." Mei said cheerfully, "The director wanted me to inform you that he is placing Ms. Samora and her brother in your care. They are to act as your assistants during your assignment and Master Uri and yourself will be responsible for them. Also, the decision has been made as to where the prototype will be launched. You will be briefed on the location as soon as you arrive at headquarters. That is all. Enjoy your morning Mr. Greyrose."

* * *

"Thank you, Mei," Alistair said before hanging up. He turned to Uri and smiled.

"Well this changes everything," he said. "Apparently we have to more people joining us for the prototype launch. Two guesses who."

-

Silyl disengaged his Oracle limit break and focused his eyes on the room. He frequently used this ability to see what was going on in the world. Remembering his discussion with Vigdis the day before, he picked up his phone and dialed Aeron.

"Aeron, tell me what you have learned of this rogue group."

* * *

Uri tilted his head to the side as he thought of Alistair's words, then realization settled in.

"Samora and Liam?" He asked surprised. "Well, that does change everything. At least PRESUL won't be completely divided then. But why are they joining us?"

-

Aeron divulged the information he had gathered on PRESUL, including a very detailed description of Amara.

"What are your orders?" He asked after he finished his report.

* * *

"I'm not sure," Alistair said, wondering that himself. He walked over to the door, then stopped and looked back.

"I expect they'll tell us when we get to headquarters. Let's not waste any time then, right?"

He smiled, then turned and walked for the elevator.

-

Silyl put his fingers together as if praying, which was his usual way of thinking.

"Follow this girl. The others can wait for now. I'll send something else to deal with them. But if this girl is headed for the answers to the secrets she holds, I want you to be there to find them out. And," and here he laughed, "to do away with any loose ends."

* * *

"Understood." Aeron hung up and checked his gunblade.

-

Samora's eyes flickered open and she stared up at the ceiling. She didn't know why, but she had a really bad feeling.

"Liam?" She said breaking the silence. "You awake?"

* * *

Liam, who was laying with his back to her, rolled his eyes.

"No," he answered sarcastically. Unfortunately, he hadn't stopped to consider how he was going to handle today with the change in diplomacy. Now he was going to have to figure it out as he went, which was a pain for someone like him who liked to have a plan.

* * *

Samora smirked at his comment. He didn't seem like himself, but she figured he was just in a bad mood.

Probably should just leave him alone. She thought as she got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready. I wonder what the director is going to do with us?

-

Amara walked into the hanger and smiled to herself when she heard Leah barking orders to the flight crew.

"Good morning." She said after there was a break in the barrage of insults. Leah looked back at her and flashed a grin.

"Hey, I thought you weren't going to make it." She ran over and gave her a hug. "Where's Uri?"

"Him and Alistair are going to RETABLIR." She replied. "When are you guys leaving?"

"As soon as these idiots finish refueling." She said through gritted teeth. There was a loud clang behind them and she cursed and shouted at the maintenance worker. "Why don't you say hi to Ben? He's helping one of the engineers."

* * *

Liam got up and dressed while Samora was in the bathroom. Once he was done, he sat back on his bed and stared at the wall.

"It's going to be a long day."

Suddenly Samora's phone rang on the nightstand. He picked it up and thought he might as well answer it.

"Hello?" he asked.

"Is this Liam? It's Commander Lasbard. I was asked to escort you to headquarters today," Adray said on the other side. Liam looked at the bathroom door and rolled his eyes.

"Samora is getting ready but she should be done soon."

"Good," Adray replied. "I'll be there shortly."

"Okay," Liam said before hanging up. He looked at the bathroom again and wondered if Samora was going to be done before the Commander arrived.

* * *

Samora was just finishing up with her shower when she heard her phone ring and Liam's voice answering. She turned off the water and toweled off listening to the short conversation. After she was sure he hung up she called out to him while she was getting dressed.

"Who was that?"

-

"Hi Ben." Amara said as she walked up to him. He was covered in grease again and putting together what appeared to be a giant engine.

"Morning Mar." He beamed at her, his white teeth shining in contrast to the dark grime on his face. "I'm glad you made it." He pulled out his handkerchief and wiped his face and hands.

"I couldn't let you guys leave without saying good-bye." She said smiling sadly, "I don't know when I'll see you again..."

"Are you going to be ok by yourself?" He asked stepping up to her and placing his hand on her shoulder. She nodded and he arched an eyebrow in return, but let the subject drop. "Hey, I have something for you. I've been wanting to give it to you for awhile. It's nothing special, just something I made."

He pulled out a bracelet made from slim silver plates, on the largest plate was the same design as her tattoo engraved on it and the reverse side had the same symbols as her necklace. She took it gingerly and stared at it a moment before giving him a hug.

"Thank you so much." She told him, "It's beautiful."

He was surprised by the hug, but let himself enjoy it while it lasted. After Amara said her good byes and left, Leah looked at Ben and shook her head.

* * *

"It was Commander Lasbard. He said he's coming to bring us to headquarters for something. He should be here any minute," Liam said. His fingers played with his mother's locket as his mind wandered around the possible reasons as to the commander's escort.

-

Silyl strolled into the Triune meeting room and approached Vigdis.

"I've received word that the two Highwind children are preparing to leave for Wutai. Are the soldier preparations ready?"

* * *

Samora walked out of the bathroom and smiled brightly at Liam feeling fully refreshed. She still had a bad feeling, but it wasn't so prevalent now.

"Well, I'm ready." She said cheerfully, "You think we'll be getting our sentences today?"

-

"Yes, they are mobilizing as we speak." Vigdis replied. "Have you spoken to Aeron yet?"

* * *

Liam shrugged and walked over to the window. He wasn't really in the mood for any sunshine smiles.

"I guess. Makes more sense than anything else."

-

Silyl sat down in his chair and nodded.

"Yes, I finished speaking with him not long ago. The mage, wolf-lion, and two RETABLIR detainees are going to be leaving Edge to test RETABLIR's prototype. The mysterious girl is going to be traveling alone, trying to find out what secrets her memory holds. I've told Aeron to track her and find out all he can."

* * *

"And what is the status of Elia's mission?" Vigdis pressed feeling excitement from their plans falling into place perfectly. "When are you planning on overshadowing Lasbard?"

-

Uri blinked at Mei when she finished briefing them about the project.

"The underwater reactor?" Uri asked trying to hide his nervousness. He never felt very comfortable in confined spaces, though he did well enough hiding it. But being surrounded by thousands of pounds of pressure on the ocean floor on top of that made him queezy.

I think I would have prefered the Northen Crater.

* * *

"Not yet," Silyl said, doing his best to contain his own excitement. "She is making notable progress, but it takes time to turn a man's loyalties. He already has strong feelings for her, but I have sufficient reason to doubt that they're not strong enough to overcome his loyalties to RETABLIR."

He stood up and paced the black marble floors, his hands clasped behind his back.

"I believe the scales will tip soon, however. Very soon. We need to make sure that these other interferers are properly out of the way first. We need to have as much freedom in that city as we can to ensure that things work out properly."

He turned back to Vigdis and regarded her.

"This matter of the prototype is another concern, however. Have you any suggestions on this?"

-

Alistair, who was fond of the fresh air and bright skies, was not too thrilled at the prospect of being underwater either.

"How are we to reach the site?" he asked, smoothing away any signs of anxiety.

* * *

"I'll have to find out where they are going first." She said, her mind racing with dozens of possibilities. "The most effective attack however, will need to be syncronized with yours against RETABLIR."

-

"You'll be transported to Junon." Mei informed them. "There is an access point there."

Uri nodded and glanced over at Alistair. He could tell he was nervous too.

We do have a lot in common. He thought somewhat amused by the idea.

* * *

"Yes, you're right," Silyl replied, seating himself once more. "We wouldn't want either party to be tipped off prematurely. Find out as best you can where they are heading. As long as I have a general idea, I can use Oracle to pinpoint their exact location.

-

"I see. Thank you, Mei," Alistair said with a polite smile. He turned and walked a few steps away before turning to Uri.

"I have a feeling you don't like the idea any more than I do, but we should be all right. I just Amara stops over to say goodbye before Samora and Liam arrive and we have to leave."

* * *

Lau sat in his chair and growled softly. The newest secratary was late delivering his dinner and if it wasnt for the sedative he had been given earlier, everyone in the building would have some kind of gruesome injury. He pondered on how the Silyl and Elia were doing with their plan. He stretched and then sighed. If they suceeded in bringing down RETABLIR, they would be able to salvage enough parts to create the GNSC (Geostigma Nuclear Satellite Cannon) and kill millions with a Geostigma blast. Keeping the secret bunker spot an actual secret had been hard, seeing as though the Triune had discovered its location. They thought him a monster with uncontrollable anger, but there was a method to his madness. Only Lau would survive to stand at Bozulma's side as he cleansed the Planet from the incurable.

-

Arashi snored softly, drool slowly slithering from the corner of his mouth. He awoke slowly and yawned looking around. He had no idea where they were as usual, but he did know he had missed lunch with Leah, which in hindsight might not have been the wisest decision he had made. He yawned again and then left his room.

-

The darkness of the Negative Lifestream carressed Bozulma as he sat and waited. He had been watching the actions of the newly founded group, PRESUl and the pests of restoration, RETABLIR. None of them concerned him, ability wise except for the girl who could see into the Lifestream and the narcoleptic boy. His "narcolepsy", Bozulma had discovered was not a sleep disorder at all, but a sickening and somewhat annoying power. The boy, indirectly, was communicating with the Planet in his dreams and somehow he was holding back the Negative Lifestream just enough so that Bozulma couldn't be prematurely summoned.

"Damn that boy...and his damned Cetra lineage." Bozulma muttered softly as he sat and watched more.

* * *

As Amara ran to RETABLIR, she decided to give Arashi a call since Leah seemed anxious to hear from him before she left. She had finally purchased a phone and was eager to use it and hoped that he was awake to answer.

"Hi Arashi?" She said when she heard him answer, "Good you're awake! Leah and Ben are leaving in a little while, I don't think you'll be able to see them off but it might be a good idea to give her a call. I'm heading to RETABLIR right now, that's where Alistair and Uri are. You should stop by when you get a chance."

-

Amara... Uri thought feeling frustrated that she wasn't talking to him again. He studied Alistair a moment considering telling him about her nightmares. As much as he disliked the idea, she might be more open to talking with him and that would be for the best. She's going to hate me for this.

"Alistair..." He began to say still feeling a little unsure, "I need to talk to you about Amara."

He proceeded to tell him about the nightmares she used to have when she was a child, back when he first found her, which were for some reason recurring now.

"The elders thought it was post traumatic stress syndrome." He told him, "It explained why she didn't remember anything before we met and that's why they never forced her to recall her memories. They hoped she would remember on her own so it wouldn't be as stressfull. But...the reason we came this way was because..." He took a deep breath. He was really stepping over the boundries now, but he was too worried to stay quiet about it.

"It was because they advised her to visit the church in sector 5. Since it is so intuned with the lifestream and a source of pure energy, the idea was that it would be a way to open her memories without her mind shorting out."

* * *

Arashi yawned. "I think I can try to see them off. Speed is my main ability." Arashi said with a smile. "I'll head over to the RETABLIR headquarters when I'm done. Adios, Amara." Arashi said as he raced towards where Leah and Ben were preparing to leave.

* * *

"Ok then!" Amara said with a laugh, "Better be extra sweet for being late though. Later, Arashi!"

She hung up as she rounded a corner and the building come into veiw. She quickly rushed inside, showing her visitor's pass to get by security, and raced upstairs to the director's office where she hoped Alistair and Uri would be waiting.

* * *

Alistair covered his face with his hand and closed his eyes, trying to digest all the information that Uri had given him.

"So that's where she's going," he said. "But, Uri, even if her mind doesn't short out, might the flood of memories hitting her mind at the same time be too much for her? She could still have an emotional breakdown or something. And if she's by herself she'll be completely vulnerable. Are you okay with this?"

He finally opened his eyes and looked at the wolf-lion with a frown.

-

Adray knocked on the hotel room and waited until Liam answered.

"Hi, Commander," he said and stepped outside. "We're ready to go."

"Good," Adray said, smiling. "Let's get going then."

He turned and headed to the elevator with Liam close behind.

"Come on, Samora!" Liam called back.

* * *

"It's not his choice." Amara said walking up to them, an icy cold expression on her face. "I decided to come with or without him, he couldn't let me travel alone. But we're here now and, even it'd prefer him being with me, he doesn't need to be anymore. A breakdown has always been a concern, that's why the sanctuary was suggested. I'll be protected there and the idea was that it would be a way to release a part of my memories that will in turn open the way for the rest of them. It'll take time doing it that way, but it'll also help me avoid a psychoitc episode."

She glanced at Uri unblinking, her frown deepening.

"You shouldn't have said anything."

* * *

"Why wouldn't you want me to know..." AListair asked, his face saddening. He decided he didn't want to hear an answer and turned away.

"Let's just keep this among the three of us. We don't want this leaking out. I'm afraid that FESTANCA might send someone after you, and we don't know who the others might let it slip to, accidentally of course."

He was thinking at the moment of Aeron, who he still didn't have a good feeling about. No matter how friendly the man tried to be, he had all the cheer of a graveyard and the look of a hired thug. And unfortunately he didn't trust Samora not to let is slip to him.

* * *

Uri lowered his head ashamed of saying anything.

"I was worried." He said sadly, "I agree with Alistair, though. This should be kept between us for now."

"Right." She said with a nod, her expression lightening only slightly. "Do you know where you guys are going now?"

"The underwater reactor at Junon." Uri replied looking up. "And Samora and Liam will be coming with us."

"Oh." She said taking it in. "Are you going to be ok there?" Uri nodded reluctantly and slowly pawed his way to her side and leaned against her. A small smile broke at the corners of her mouth and she rubbed the side of his neck. The new bracelit at her wrist caught her attention and he nudged her hand as if to ask about it. "Oh, Ben made it for me. That was nice of him  
wasn't it?"

-

Samora's expression soured as they came up to RETABLIR.

I'm really starting to hate this place. She thought as they pulled up.

"Commander?" She asked turning to Adray, "Do you know what the director has planned for us?"

* * *

Alistair narrowed his eyes at the sight of it and clenched his hands imperceptibly into fists.

"Very nice indeed," he mumbled, trying not to bare his teeth in anger.

"What a scoundrel!" he bellowed in his head.

-

"I think he'd rather you hear it from him," Adray answered evasively. Liam raised an eyebrow but didn't question him.

Adray led the two up to Cross' office and knocked on the door.

"Sir, I've brought Ms. Opar and her 'brother,'" Adray said, waiting for Cross' permission to enter.

* * *

Amara looked at Alistair curiously.

"Are you ok?" She asked stepping up beside him, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you everything, I just didn't want you to worry." Which is why I'm not going to tell you about the pool.

-

"Come in, Adray." Cross told them. He rose from his chair as the three walked into his office. "Ah, Samora, Liam. Glad you could join me this morning. After careful consideration of your case..." He glanced casually at Adray and gave him a faint smile, "I have decided that your sentence will best be served under Alistair Greyrose and Master Uri on their assignment to the underwater reactor at Junon Harbor. You'll be acting as their assistants and must do as they say. From this moment until the conclusion of their assignment, you are working for them. Any questions?"

Samora gasped and her mouth dropped open. She had expected community service at best, but actually working for RETABLIR and getting placed in Alistair and Uri's care was beyond her expectations. It was almost exciting and she was half expecting him to shout "Just kidding!"

"Really?" She was barely able to ask, a smile slowly spreading across her face.

"Obviously this will be without pay." Cross continued smirking at Samora's response. "And Alistair and Uri will be reporting to me as far as your performance and behavior go. Do well, and your records will not be effected by your...misconduct."

* * *

"-"

* * *

"..."

* * *

night

"Not coming, I'm afraid," Alistair replied with an apologetic smile. Inside,  
he fluctuated between hurt at Amara's lack of faith in him and guilty for just  
walking away.

"You might regret this all your life," he told himself. He gave an anxious  
look at the door, then turned on his heel and opened the door.

"I'm really sorry, Director Cross, but I need to take care of something very  
quickly."

Without waiting for a response, he closed the door and dashed to the elevator.  
Once it reached the bottom he headed out the door and looked around for Amara.

"Amara!" he called, running down the street to find her.

* * *

Amara ran as fast as she could from the building.

I guess I am really alone now. She thought almost in tears. It's my fault. I pushed them away...I guess I really don't deserve them.

-

Cross looked after Alistair and frowned. He turned to Uri and arched an eyebrow at him.

"I assume this involves Ms. Eilian." Uri reluctantly nodded and Cross gestured to Adray. "Commander, may I have a word with you for a moment?"

* * *

Alistair alnost missed her in his blind panic, but he spied Amara just ahead up the road. He dashed with all his speed up to her and caught her arm.

"Amara, wait. Don't go yet. I don't want you to leave on bad terms. Please," he began, then seemed to lose the words. He looked at her with pleading eyes and finally managed to get the words out.

"Just know that I love you, and I want what's best for you."

-

Adray, who was distracted by Alistair's uncharacteristic departure, turned back to Cross with a start.

"Yes, of course, sir," he replied.

* * *

Amara had been running practically blind, her eyes had been watering to the point her vision was blurred and when Alistair caught her she spun around ready to fight. His words caught her even more by surprise. She quickly wiped her eyes with her free hand and blinked to clear her vision before looking up him.

"I'm so sorry." She said her voice almost breaking. "I'm so sorry."

She closed her arms around him and choked back a sob.

"I don't want to leave things like that either."

-

Cross excused himself from the others and took Adray to the side of the room. He lowered his voice even though he knew Uri would probably still be able to hear him.

"I believe this might prove to be a problem." He said smiling to his friend. "It seems that Uri and Alistair are going to be rather preocupied with their friend unless they know she is being taken care of. Would you care to keep an eye on her while they are away so they can focus on the mission? Not that I would expect it to get in the way of your acting duties or...*ahem* social life."

* * *

"Shhh, it's okay," Alistair said soothingly as he wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair. "Everything's all right."

He just held her in his arms for a until she calmed down. Once she had, he gave her a kiss on the forehead and smiled.

"I know you'll find what you're looking for. Just make sure to come back to me, all right?"

-

Adray blinked with surprise, particularly due to the end part, but managed not to look too taken aback.

"Of course, sir. I'll keep watch over her as long as she's in Edge," he answered with a nod. He would have kept tabs on her in any case, as a favor to Alistair more than anything else.

* * *

Amara smiled up at Alistair and wrinkled her nose.

"Just try and stop me." She told him and gave him a soft kiss. "I love you."

-

"Very good." Cross finished off and turned back to the others. "I guess all we need to do is wait for Alistair to join us again."

He walked back to his desk and took a seat and gestured for the present company to do the same. Uri sat down feeling a little more relieved now that he knew Amara would be watched over, as he had in fact listened to the conversation.

At least someone will be with her. He thought.

* * *

Arashi saw Leah and Ben and shouted up to them. "Hey you guys! You're gonna leave without sayin' good bye to me?" Arashi said with a wide and charming smile.

* * *

Leah heard Arashi calling out and she turned to look at him. At first she was a little irritated that he was late, but imediately felt happier just seeing him. She ran over and gave him a hug and Ben just trailed behind her at a respectful pace.

"Bought time you showed up!" She said giving him a playful shove.

"Good to see you." Ben said catching up to Leah. He came a little closer and whispered, "Really, now she'll be in a good mood the rest of the day." He gave him a pat on the shoulder as thanks and Leah dead armed her brother for the comment.

"So what are you planning on doing now?" She asked him a smile returning to her face.

* * *

"I love you too," Alistair replied, smiling down at her. He turned his head to look at RETABLIR headquarters and sighed.

"Well, I'd better hurry before Cross' loses his patience."

He gave her a quick kiss and grinned.

"I'll see you soon."

He turned and headed back for the headquarters, turning for one final wave before disappearing from sight.

* * *

Arashi blushed slightly at the unexpected hug and then smiled at Ben's comment. "I don't really know...I could follow Alistair, Amara, and Uri, but that would probably put me to sleep among other things. Sorry for missin our lunch...I fell asleep." Arashi said..

* * *

"It's ok." Leah said shaking her head, "I'm getting used to it. Well, you could come with us if you want."

Ben blinked at her in surprise for the suggestion.

"I don't know if you've ever been to Wutai, but it's beautiful and the culture is amazing."

She sounds like a travel brochure. Ben thought with a smirk. He scratched the back of his head before adding a comment of his own.

"I dunno how much action we'll be seeing," He said, "but it'll be nice to have another guy along anyway."

-

Cross smiled over at Alistair as he walked in and motioned for him to join them.

"Good." He said in his normal charismatic voice, "Now we can begin."

He dialed on a keyboard that was on his desk and a 3D image came on overhead. It was a display of Junon, the underwater reactor and the prototype.

"The underwater reactor was an ideal location to launch the prototype. Since the reactor is already connected to the lifestream to draw mako energy, it will make it easier to direct the current to the filter for processing. Once it's up and running it won't take long to know if it's going to make a significant difference or not.

"The prototype will be flown in and taken down by submarine to be installed. You'll be overseeing the connection in the reactor. You'll be staying in Junon for the duration of the project. Any questions thus far?"

* * *

"Hmmm...Wutai huh?" Arashi said as he put his hands behind his head. "Eh, okay. I'll come, but not because I'm interested in the environment and culture and blah." Arashi said with a flirtatious smile as he walked past Leah and Ben towards their ship. "Hurry up, before I end up flying this thing." Arashi laughed.

* * *

Alistair glanced over at the others before shaking his head.

"I think it's fairly straightforward," he replied. Liam looked at him, then at Cross.

"But...do you think FESTANCA is going to send people to stop us?" he asked, wondering if the prototype would be important enough to get Aeron to shed his disguise to thwart them.

Adray had to wonder that himself. It seemed very likely that they would, given the circumstances. They had been fairly quiet lately, besides Dr. Powers' unfortunate circumstances, but he had no doubt that something as important as a Lifestream cleanser would draw out their attention.

* * *

Leah beamed a smile after him and quickly sent a text message to Amara that she was taking Arashi with her.

She race to the pilot seat and Ben jumped in after her.

"Better buckle up." She called back to Arashi as she engaged the engine and took off.

-

"There are risks involved." Cross said gravely, "Not in the least is FESTANCA, but we cannot afford inaction because they pose a threat. We have taken precautions of course, soldiers will be dispatched to protect the prototype and of course you'll be there. I have the upmost confidence in your abilities."

* * *

Arashi followed her advice quickly and buckled into his seat.

"So, what exactly are we going to Wutai for?" Arashi asked.

* * *

Leah laughed at the question.

"You've really missed a lot huh?" She asked smiling back at him. "We're on recovery detail after the earthquake. Their communications network crashed among other things."

* * *

"We won't let you down," Alistair said with a determined nod. He was excited to be doing something worthwhile, even though he felt a pang of loss at the thought of Amara leaving them.

"Good luck," Adray said, smiling grimly and shaking his hand. Alistair left the office, with Liam and the others behind, and headed for their transportation.

"Excited?" Liam whispered to Uri, wondering what the wolf-lion would think of the new environment.

* * *

"I'm happy to be a part of the endeavor." Uri replied to his young friend,  
"Not too excited about where that part takes me, however."

Seeing the diagram had increased his anxiety, because now he knew what he  
would be dealing with. At least they would be able to go top side at the end  
of the day.

That's something at least. He thought with a smirk.

"What about you?" Uri asked him, "Have you been outside of Edge before?"

* * *

Liam shook his head at the question.

"No, I've grown up here all my life. I'm happy to be going somewhere else though. I'm tired of this city."

He realized he might have said too much and hoped that Uri wouldn't ask him to go into details.

-

"How are you feeling about all this?" Alistair asked Samora as he walked next to her. He realized he didn't know the girl very well and hoped he'd get to know her better through all this.

-

"I'll be returning to work then," Adray said to Cross as he turned to walk toward the door. He stopped for a moment and turned his head back.

"Unless you want me to check on Ms. Eilian, of course," he added, waiting for the director's response.

* * *

"Are you kidding?" Samora asked happily, "I thought I was gonna end up cleaning the city's sewer lines or something. I've done dirty jobs like that before to make ends meet and, even though there's the possibilty that we might be killed in a horrible industrial accident, it's preferable to being in a sweat suit shoveling other people's...well you get the idea. I don't care if  
I'm not getting paid, this is awesome!"

She took a look at Alistair and quickly amended her previous statement.

"We'll be perfectly fine. Anything built for aquatics is designed to withstand pretty much anything. But anyway, yeah I'm excited."

-

"Yes, I was hoping you would." Cross gave Adray a nod then added, "When she's finished with...whatever it is she's doing, could you escort her back to my office? According to Alistair, she is a capable individual and I want to see if I can't convince her to join RETABLIR as well. I believe she would make an excellent asset to the organization."

* * *

"That's good to hear," Alistair said, chuckling at her enthusiasm. They approached a uniformed man, who was guarding the hangar.

"Your transportation is waiting this way," he said and directed them. Alistair looked around, anticipating what their transportation was going to be like.

-

Adray regarded Cross for a moment with interest.

"He's hiding something," he thought. "He's been very interested in her since they first came into this office. I can't begin to imagine what it is though."

"Of course," he replied, and gave a nod before leaving the office. Now to find her...

* * *

Uri came in to the hanger and his eyes widened when he saw their ride.

"I can't believe it!" Samora squealed excitedly. "An airship! We're taking an airship to Junon?"

"Not just any airship." Commented the captain as he came up to the four, "It's Alexander class. As high tech as you can get with luxury type aircraft and fast too."

"That is so cool!" Samora said rushing inside.

Uri sighed not quite sure about being in the air again, but at least this time it wasn't a helicopter. He followed Samora in casting a glance back at Alistair.

"Here we go again." He said forcing a measure of enthusiusm into his voice.

-

Amara finished checking out of her hotel room and took a deep breath before stepping out into the streets of Edge. She looked up at the overcast sky and sighed. She missed seeing the sun, it seemed like it was always cloudy here.

Guess it's going to take more than twenty years to clear up. She thought shaking her head. Before she took another step, she opened her phone and sent a message to Alistair.

/I love you./ She wrote. /Please tell Uri I love him too. See you soon./

After it was sent she walked towards Midgar feeling a little lighter just from sending the message.

-

As soon as Adray stepped out of his office, Cross' expression became dark. He got up, walked to the large map of Gaia and pulled it open exposing a vault hidden behind it. After entering the combination and opening the hatch, he pulled out his old broadsword and looked it over like a remnant from an ancient time. He held it upright and leaned his forehead against the blade.

"Protect your honor..." He voiced monotonously before sheathing it and returning it to its place and closing the vault.

* * *

"Cheer up, Uri," Alistair said with a smile as they walked into the airship. "This time we're flying with style!"

Alistair had very much liked all this traveling and adventuring, but he still had that taste for luxury. He was going to enjoy this flight.

"Hmm?"

He felt a vibration and checked his phone. The message from Amara brought a smile to his face and he quickly wrote back.

/I will. Love you too./

-

Adray drove his car to the hotel and asked for Amara, but the woman at the desk informed him that she had just checked out. Back in his car again, he roamed the streets, attempting to find her.

"Where could she have gone?" he wondered. He quickly thought to call Samora and dialed her number.

"Ms. Opar? Is Uri there? I need to ask him something."

* * *

"Hey Uri." Samora said lowering the phone to the wolf-lion. "Commander Lasbard wants to ask you something."

Uri recalled what Cross had spoken to Adray about and guessed that he was going to ask after Amara.

"Hello, this is Uri." He said speaking into the phone.

* * *

"Hello, Uri," Adray said. "I drove over to the hotel to see if Amara was there. I suppose you heard my conversation with Director Cross. Anyway, it seems she checked out of the hotel already and I don't know where to find her. Do you have any ideas?"

-

"Wow," Liam said as he walked slowly through the airship, studying every nook and cranny. He'd never seen anything so impressive in his life. He spied a window and looked out, and immediately his smile fell as he saw the city. It was filled with too many painful memories.

"Goodbye, and good riddance," he mumbled, narrowing his eyes.

* * *

"She already left huh?" Uri said frowning. Not wasting any time then. "She's on her way to sector 5 in Midgar. I don't think she's gotten very far yet since she doesn't know the area very well."

He thought about Amara's reaction to Adray shadowing her.

"You might want to let her know you're under orders or she won't agree to you following her."

-

Aeron watched Amara from a safe distance. He could tell she was walking to Midgar, but he couldn't fathom why. There was nothing there but rubble and...

She's headed for the church. He realized and decided to head her off there.

* * *

"Midgar?" Adray asked, surprised. "Why would she be going there?"

Something was obviously amiss here, but he decided it wasn't his concern.

"Well in any case, I don't know if the director will give me leave to go outside of Edge. I'll have to find out. Thank you for your help, Uri."

After hanging up he immediately dialed Cross and waited for him to answer.

"Sir, I think we have an issue..."

* * *

"She's going into Midgar?" Cross said repeating what Adray told him. He clenched his teeth but kept his voice even. "I'll leave it up to your discretion to follow her or not, Commander. If you find her before she leaves the city, however, I would like you to relay my invitation to visit with her. Keep me updated."


	14. Chapter 14

"Oh...geez, I have missed alot." Arashi said as he looked around. "Where's the fridge?" Arashi asked.

* * *

Leah nodded to her brother to get Arashi set up. He unbuckled and went back to show him where the food was.

"No fridge," He said apologetically, "the food is in this locker here." He grabbed an MRE (meals ready to eat) and threw it over to Arashi. "It's not very good, but that's the military for you. A fridge is a great idea though. I'll have to install one when I get a chance."

He took an MRE for himself and sat down across from Arashi.

"We haven't actually talked much." He said tearing the package open, "Where you from?"

* * *

"Right," Adray replied and hung up. He turned his car and started heading for Midgar. Hopefully he'd catch up to her soon.

-

Silyl, controlling a small bird at the moment, spied a ship heading toward Wutai. He released his hold over it and returned to his body smoothly.

"They're heading toward Wutai now," he told Vigdis with a cold smile. "Make sure we have our welcoming committee in place."

* * *

Aeron stood outside the church and glared at the building. The last time he was here was after the silver haired men were defeated and he and the other children were healed. It hadn't really healed him though, not completely. He always had trouble with his eye afterward and, not even two years later, he had a relapse.

He clenched his hands into tight fists as he remembered his so called friends avoiding him because he reminded them of how close they had been to dying. He even wore an eyepatch at first so it wouldn't bother them so much. But it didn't change anything. To them, he symbolized death and now that was his job.

"And I'm good at it." He said aloud in a low, dark voice. He stepped into the shadows and waited for Amara to arrive.

-

Amara jogged at a steady pace now she knew what direction the church was in. She slowed down when she heard a car coming up behind her and she looked back.

"Commander Lasbard?" She said to herself after she stopped then waved him over. "Hey, is everything alright?"

* * *

"There you are," he said as he stopped his car. He got out and checked his fleuret at his side.

"I was told that you were heading to Midgar and I wanted to make sure that you were all right. I understand how close you are to Alistair and as his friend I want to protect those close to him."

He deliberately left out Cross' place in all this, figuring that his superior wouldn't wanted to be implicated.

* * *

"Oh, that's very thoughtful of you." Amara said with a smile, "I'm fine though, as you can see and I'm sure you have more important things to be doing, right?" She stood there awkwardly for a moment then lifted her hand in a small wave. "Thanks for checking though. Bye."

She flashed a quick grin before turning to continue walking.

-

Uri settled down into his seat and let out a contented sigh.

This isn't so bad. He thought as he smacked his chops.

"I wouldn't mind riding like this all the time." He mentioned to Alistair who looked very comfortable himself.

* * *

Adray gaped stupidly as Amara walked away. She made no effort to hide that she was trying to get rid of him.

"Well that was unusual," he thought, straightening himself and getting back in his car. Well so be it. If she wanted to run off on her own then he really couldn't stop her. Besides, he had things to do as well. He checked his phone and wondered if Elisia would be calling him tonight...

-

"Truer words were never said," Alistair replied, flashing a smile. He looked at Uri, then at Liam and Samora, and felt very content.

"You know, I'm glad you decided to join," he said a little awkwardly.

* * *

Midgar was oddly darker than Edge. Amara didn't know how that could be possible since they were side by side.

Huh, She thought as she studied the ruins of the once thriving metropolis, maybe I should have asked Adray for a ride at least. This place is kinda creepy.

She shook off the thought and continued on keeping a hand on her sword just in case something decided to spring out at her, though she hadn't heard of any monsters being in the area for a long time. Still, no point in taking chances.

-

"All things considered, so am I." Uri said bobbing his head then chuckled, "We've come a long way in a very short period of time, wouldn't you say?"

* * *

"Yes, I would. It's strange to look back and see how far we've come," Alistair agreed. His thoughts drifted to Amara and he felt an invisible hand squeeze his heart.

"I hope Amara's okay," he said softly. 

* * *

Uri made no reply, it wasn't necessary. He hadn't stopped thinking of Amara since they parted. Uri set his head down on his paws and sighed.

Adray had better be taking care of her or he'll have me to answer to.

-

Samora watched Alistair and Uri and smiled sadly to herself.

I wonder if Aeron is thinking about me too? She thought tightening her grip on her phone. She wanted to call him or send a message, but decided to wait until she was alone. Liam still was acting distant to her and she didn't want to antagonize him any more.

"You want to get something to eat withe me?" She asked him hoping he would lighten up a bit.

* * *

Adray parked back at headquarters and sent a message to Samora's phone.

/Tell Uri and Alistair I'm sorry. Amara wouldn't have me with her./

-

Liam gave her a sideways glance and shrugged.

"I'm not really hungry," he mumbled. He wondered how much shunning would be too much since he still needed her to get to Aeron.

* * *

"Oh...alright then." She started getting up when her phone vibrated. She looked at the message and frowned. "Uh...sorry guys, Lasbard says that Amara wouldn't let him go with her."

"What?" Uri said his head shooting up. "I told him to tell her he was under orders!"

Samora shrugged helplessly not knowing what to say. Uri shook his head in annoyance at Amara and jumped out of his seat so he could walk out his frustration.

"Sure" He grumbled under his breath as he walked out into the corridor, "I get you don't want someone you barely know following you on a personal pilgramage to discover your lost past, but for crying out loud! It wasn't just for you!"

Samora watched him go and flinched as she heard him growl.

/K, I told them./ She sent back as a reply.

-

Mei was busy looking over the communications from RETABLIR's secondary outpost on the western continent when she got buzzed by the director.

"Yes sir?" She asked in her practiced office voice.

"Mei, could you get the science department on a secure line for me?" He said.

"Of course sir." She said obligingly making the connection for him.

"And has Commander Lasbard reported back yet?"

"No sir, not yet."

"Very well then, have him come in when he gets back. Thank you Mei."

"Yes Director Cross." Mei sat back in her seat a moment wondering after her boss a moment. He had been acting strange since Greyrose and his friends arrived.

Oh well, She thought returning to the communications, it's not my business.

* * *

/Thank you./ Adray replied. The elevator pinged open and he strolled over to Cross' office after receiving word from Mei that the director wanted him.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" he asked.

-

Alistair stared after Uri, then shook his head.

"Oh, Amara..." he thought.

"Maybe I will get that snack," Liam said to no one in particular, not wishing to get involved with another one of these awkward situations. He stood and walked toward the kitchen, wondering what he would find and if Samora would follow. 

* * *

"Were you able to track down Ms. Eilian?" Cross asked Adray.

-

Samora walked after Liam feeling the atmosphere tense again. She checked over the food and sighed happily.

"I think I'll have the chicken cordon bleu." She said to the chef, "What about you Liam?"

-

The church shone like a beacon against the dreary backdrop of the ruins of the slums. Amara stood at the threshold, hesitating stepping inside. She wanted to know where she came from, but after the flashback that morning she was nervious about what would happen.

"Here goes." She said after taking a deep breath then stepped inside the building.

* * *

"Yes," Adray answered hesitantly. He shifted awkwardly, then cleared his throat.

"I found her but she insisted, rather vehemently, in going on alone. I didn't see any point in exhausting energy were I wasn't needed so I returned."

He hoped that Cross would be understanding and not chew him out for making the wrong decision.

* * *

Cross frowned at Adray, but he understood that the girl didn't want him there with her.

"So were you able to relay my message then?" He asked, "Did she give you any indication when she would return to the city?"

-

Amara walked slowly down the isle towards the glistening pool at the end. She stopped short of the water and stooped down to study the yellow flowers that were growing along the edge of the pool. She could feel the life flowing through them and it brought a smile to her face. She felt calmer now, relaxed.

As she stared at the flowers, the air grew still and seemed to brighten until she was bathed in light. She blinked and when she opened her eyes she was in a white open room, a girl stood staring back at her. Her hair was black and her eyes were golden. Amara's mouth dropped open and she slowly stood up.

"Hello." She said, her voice echoing in the room and sounding almost alien to her.

"Do you remember?" She asked in a sad voice.

* * *

"Oh shoot..." Adray thought, the girl's abrupt manner so unexpected that it left him at a loss for thought at the time.

"I tried but she was evasive to say the least and was in too much of a hurry for me to get anything concrete out of her."

Well, it was true enough in any case. Hopefully Cross would simply leave it at that.

-

"I think I'll just have a ham sandwich," he replied, more to the chef than Samora. He was still wondering exactly how nice he needed to be to Samora to ensure that he still had that connection to Aeron.

"Where did Uri get off to?" he asked, directing the question to Samora but looking off to the side so as not to properly address her.

* * *

Cross visibly tensed but he said nothing, just gave Adray a curt nod in response.

"I see." He said finally. He tried to act as if he shrugged off the matter and moved on to the next topic. "Have the soldiers arrived at Junon yet? I think it would be best if they were there ahead of the envoy to ensure things went smoothly don't you?"

-

Samora shrugged as she took her plate and walked over to an empty table.

"I don't know," She said taking a seat, "It looked like he was heading to the observation deck though. He really didn't look too happy." Now she was talking more to herself than to Liam, "I wonder what the deal is with Amara?"

-

"I can't remermber." Amara answered the little girl. She blinked again and was suddenly standing in what looked like a school room. Children were laughing and she saw her younger self sitting at a table coloring with another girl. She gasped when she recognized the girl as the one who was injured, walking through the aquaduct with her.

They looked happy, carefree. There were several other children in the room equally happy and they all seemed to be friends.

"All right children." Said a vaguely familiar voice. Amara turned to see who had spoken and watched as the woman with large glasses walked into the room and addressed the children. "Put away your toys for now, it's time to begin today's lesson."

Amara looked back at herself as she pulled out her workbook and pencil and set it down before her. She slowly raised her eyes and met Amara's gaze.

"This was our home." She heard her say even though her mouth did not move.

-

Aeron watched Amara wander around inside the building. She looked crazy, talking to thin air and glancing about like she was unable to focus, almost as if she were drugged. He stayed outside in the shadows watching her strange encounter with the lifestream.

* * *

Adray thought that Cross was giving him a hunt to get lost and nodded slowly.

"Yes, of course, sir. I'll go check into that right now," he said with his head bowed. He quickly turned and left the office, headed for RETABLIR's hangar to make sure that the soldiers' transport had already left. He was slowly feeling like Cross was losing confidence in him after all he had put into the organization. Maybe talking to Elisia about it later would help.

-

"Who knows," Liam said with a roll of his eyes as he sat down with his own food. "Those guys always seem to have some kind of emotional catastrophe going on."

* * *

"Yeah no kidding." She said taking a bite of her food. "It's just that Uri and Alistair really care about her and she's really sweet and nice and everything, but she acts like she doesn't trust anybody. Even Uri and he's suppose to be her best friend right?" She scraped her fork across her chicken as she thought about it. "I mean, I've been through some pretty crappy stuff. My dad was killed and I've had to work every day since to help my mother..." Her voice trailed off as she thought about the day her father was killed, then shook off the memory and went on, "I know people are terrible, but I can't really say I have a problem trusting them. I mean, I trust you guys anyway."

She gave Liam a small smile then frowned and shook her head.

"So what must she have gone through to make her like that?"

-

Amara's eyes teared up at the words. She wasn't able to recall any of it still, but there was a familiarity to it. The room, the children, the woman. She had a very caring smile and it warmed her heart to see it.

"Is she our mother?" Amara found herself asking. When she turned back to the little girl the room had shifted again. Now she was in a large gated flower garden outside the building the school room was in. No, not gated. She took a closer look and saw that the parameter of the facility was surrounded by high security fencing. What is this place?

"This is home." Said the little girl walking up to Amara. "This is all I've ever known. All we've ever known." She gestured out to the children playing out in the yard, the same ones from the class room and she spied herself in the midst of them.

"What about our parents?" Amara asked her frowning, "Why was I left alone? What happened to everyone?"

"I can't tell you." She said shaking her head sadly. "You have to go now. The bad people are coming."

Amara was about to object when she felt as if she was being thrown through the air as the lifestream suddenly released her mind. She shook her head as she stumbled around on the wooden floor beneath her feet and gazed around completely disoriented then saw she was again in the church in the slums.

-

As Aeron watched he became more and more discontent. Whatever was going on here, he couldn't allow it to threaten the mission. He reached out with his mind to the shadows surrounding him and directed them to the young woman inside.

-

Uri was gazing out the expansive windows on the observation deck when a sickening feeling hit him like a bolt of lightning.

"Something's wrong." He said aloud and rushed back to where Alistair was. "Call Amara now! Something's wrong, she's in trouble I know it, just call her!"

* * *

Liam shrugged. He couldn't really blame Amara since he wasn't able to trust people either. At the moment though he was more focused on what Samora had said about her father. He had forgotten that she lost someone close to her too.

"I'm not sure," he said finally. "It had to be something traumatic."

-

Alistair blinked in surprise at Uri, but decided not to waste time asking stupid questions. He quickly stood and dialed her number.

"Come on, Amara," he thought as it rang. "Answer!"

* * *

She was still disoriented when her phone started ringing and it took a moment to realize what it was.

"Alistair?" She answered, "No everything is fine..." Her voice drifted off as she felt the hairs on her neck stand on end. Her eyes shifted around the room and she unsheathed her sword. "Hang on." She lowered the phone to her side and slowly crept away from the pool. "Is someone there?"

She heard something rustle in the shadows at the entrance of the church and thought she saw something move. Faster than she could blink, the shadows became wraiths and swarmed towards her. She dodged to the side as their ghostly hands moved to grab her and she slashed at them. Her sword passed through the shadows and it looked as though they laughed at her for trying to hurt them.

She gritted her teeth and continued to spin and twist and jump out of their reach, every once in a while would slash at them only to have the same effect as before. Soon it appeared they were growing irate at her and more and more swarmed toward her. It got harder and harder to keep out of their reach and soon they were tearing at her, leaving deep gashes in her skin. One was able to slice at her hand causing her to drop her sword.

She let out a yelp as they closed in around her, shadowy hands encircling her in an attempt to smother her.

"Fire!" She shouted casting a fiery explosion around her. The wraiths dissolved into ashes, but more rushed at her and she fell back into the pool as they collided with her. Water splashed up as her body broke the surface and a blinding holy light followed the droplets. She was enveloped by the light like a protective blanket and her wounds instantly healed.

-

Aeron's connection with the shadows wasn't severed with the holy explosion and he felt the worst of the blast through them. He cried out in pain as it shook him and felt as if his eye was being torn from its socket. He grabbed at it as black liquid oozed and dripped between his fingers and fell to the ground.

He stumbled away from the church as fast as he could, his eye still weeping the remnants of geostigma.

-

"What's going on?" Uri said his eyes widening as he listened to Amara's struggle. He held his breath when he heard the line go silent.

*Cough* "I'm ok!" Amara said gasping for air on the other side. "Just had a little...*cough* problem. I'll call you guys later."

* * *

Alistair gripped the phone with shaking hands and yelled, "Amara, wait!"

But she had already hung up the phone. He looked down at Uri helplessly and sighed.

"What could have happened?" he asked.

* * *

Uri shook his head in disbelief at what he heard. He felt like he was going to collapse from the anxiety.

"I have no idea." He said wanting to order the captain to turn them around, but kept himself still. "Can...do you think you can call the commander to get her?"

-

Amara slowly pulled herself out of the pool and fell on her back into the flowers. Her breath was starting to come easier now, but she was still on edge from the attack.

What was that? She thought remembering the cold claws tearing at her. She forced herself to relax and focused instead on the beads of water that were sliding down the sides of her face. Her expirience still nagged at the corner of her mind, she was missing something, aside from the obvious gap in her memory, something she had seen in the trance.

Her mind drifted to the children in the class room, her friends. Their laughter rang in her ears like a distant chorus and she smiled absentmindly. Her eyes suddenly widened and she shot up as realization set in. The children had two things in common.

They had my tattoo...and my eyes. Their eyes were golden too.

* * *

Alistair felt his mouth go dry and couldn't answer for a moment, but merely nodded.

"Yes," he managed to finally say and pulled out his phone to call Adray.

-

"Radio them and tell them to move it double time. Director Cross wants those soldiers to be at Junon and have the area secured before the airship arrives," Adray told the captain at the hangar. The captain nodded and began barking orders to his men. Adray began to walk back toward his car when his phone rang.

"Alistair?" he asked, then quickly stopped as his friend's words began to pour out.

"I'll get there as soon as possible," Adray said gravely and jumped in his car. He gave a quick call to Mei to inform Cross of the recent events and sped off toward Midgar. Hopefully the girl would be all right by the time he arrived.

* * *

Uri stared at Alistair expectantly as he told Adray about what happened with Amara.

Good. He's going. He thought relaxing minutely. That girl is going to give me a heart attack.

-

Aeron staggered into his car, his head still wracked with pain. He looked down at his hand and frowned as he studied the black ooze coating his fingers. He took out a first aid kit and cleaned off his hand and wrapped a bandage cloth around his eye before calling Vigdis to inform her what happened.

-

Vigdis listened as Aeron reported what happened with Amara.

"This is a fascinating case." She said tapping her fingers on the desk. "Very well. Leave her for now and take up your last assignment. Track down where Opar and her group have gone, we'll need to know the location of that prototype if we are going to successfully strike down RETABLIR."

She hung up with him and went to find Silyl.

* * *

Silyl placed Prelati's spellbook on the table in his room and seated himself. After flipping through the pages, he found a section on places of ancient power.

"That church in Midgar...what are its secrets?" he wondered. He suddenly heard a knock, and crossed the room to throw the door open.

"What?" he bellowed, annoyed at the disturbance. He saw Vigdis and calmed down.

"Oh, Vigdis. What is it?" he asked.

-

"There's the church," Adray said to himself as he parked his car. He pulled out his fleuret and cautiously approached the building.

"Ms. Eilian? Are you there?" he called as he opened the door to the sanctuary and slowly began to walk down the aisle.

* * *

"Silyl, I just recieved a report from Aeron." Vigdis relayed the information she had been given. "You are aware of the significance of the church I presume? The planet obviously wants to protect this girl. The question is, will it be as protective towards the others as well?"

-

Amara heard a car and quickly stood to her feet, grabbing her sword as she rose. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that it was Adray and ran up to meet him. She figured that Alistair and Uri must have asked him to check on her.

"I'm here!" She called, then realized she was soaking wet from the pool and started wringing out her hair. "'I'm glad to see you. Sorry about how I acted before."

She was more than ready to leave this place, knowing that she learned all she could from it for now.

* * *

"Troubling news," Silyl said, seating himself at his desk. He rested his head on his hands and closed his eyes meditatively.

"Vigdis," he said after a moment, "I am growing more and more concerned with this new group. Their connection to the planet is startling, to say the least."

-

Adray was puzzled at her sudden change in behavior, but quickly figured that she must have found out what she wanted to already and had nothing to hide anymore.

"Are you all right?" he asked, his eyes scanning the room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

"Come on, let's get back to my car and I'll get you a towel to dry off with," he said, and waited for her to exit the church before giving it one last look over. He shook his head and walked back to his car, wondering what on earth he had missed.

* * *

"Yes, it is becoming troublesome." She agreed, then sat at the edge of Silyl's desk. "At this point, I believe we should carry on as we've planned. Aeron is going after Ms. Opar and her group so he will soon be in place to act there when the oportunity presents itself. The soldiers in Wutai will be mobilizing within the next thirty-six hours according to the latest report. This girl is the only remaining loose end."

-

Amara graciously took the towel from Adray and thanked him.

"Can I ask you something?" She said stepping into the car after she had mopped most of the water up. "Are shadow monsters common around here?"

* * *

"And unfortunately she's the greatest liability," Silyl replied, rubbing his face with an aggravated sigh. "However, there's nothing we can do at the moment. We need to return our focus elsewhere. I need you to supervise the Wutai project. I'll keep on the Junon mission, as well as the RETABLIR coup. If all goes well, we'll have the planet at our feet in no time."

-

Adray regarded her curiously as he shook his head.

"I've never heard of shadow monsters in these parts," he answered. "Does this have something to do with why you came here? I assume it wasn't just to take a swim."

* * *

"It would be my pleasure." Vigdis said with a smirk. "What of our third member? I haven't gotten any news thus far, have you?"

-

"No, no, no." Amara replied shaking her head, "That had nothing to do with me coming here, but it had something to do with you getting called to get me. I was attacked by them while I was inside. A lot of them. The water actually saved me, otherwise..."

Her voice trailed off and a sudden chill shook her. She was happy to be out of Midgar into the brighter city of Edge.

"Are we going to RETABLIR now?"

* * *

Adray studied the girl beside him discreetly. Something was definitely unusual about her, and her story was far out there. He supposed that Cross might know something about her and that's why he was so determined to have her join.

"Yes, we are," Adray finally answered, not realizing that he had been driving automatically in that direction. "The director wished to see you."

* * *

Amara frowned at Adray's answer.

"Yeah, I had a feeling he would." She looked out the window at the scenery as it passed by. How did I know that? He was trying to get me to join RETABLIR before, but...it feels like there is something else.

* * *

Silyl waved a hand dismissively.

"Busy with duties in FESTANCA. It's important to have someone high up in their ranks to feed us information."

-

"Sir? I've brought Ms. Elian," Adray said as he and Amara reached Cross' office. Adray looked at his watch and hoped that this wouldn't last long, or he would be allowed to leave. The sun was already setting and he still hadn't called Elisia yet to see if they were going to meet.

"I wish we had other clothes to give you," he said apologetically to Amara as he waited for Cross to give them permission to enter.

* * *

"Don't worry about it." Amara said to Adray sweetly. He was really nice man and she could appriciate why him and Alistair were such good friends.

"You can go in." Mei said smiling brightly at the two as she got up from her work area. "I'm done for today. Have a good evening Commander, Ms. Eilian."

"Night." Amara told her as she left.

When they walked into the office Cross was already standing, waiting for them.

"Amara, it's good to see you again." He studied her appearance for a moment but didn't say anything it.

"Good to see you too...Victor." She replied still feeling odd at calling him by his first name.

"If you have a minute, I'd like to speak with you." He gave her a charming smile before turning to Adray and dismissing him. "I trust you have plans, Adray. Have a good evening."

* * *

Adray bowed his head and took a step back.

"Thank you, sir," he said unemotionally, feeling yet again that Cross was deriding him. He turned and left the room, forgetting to say goodbye to Amara. As soon as the elevator opened and he crossed the lobby, he pulled out his phone and called Elia.

"Hello, Elisia," he said, his voice coming out more gruff due to feeling awkward. "Do you have plans for tonight?"

* * *

As soon as Adray stepped out,Cross returned his charming smile to Amara who couldn't help but smile back.

"I'm guessing you wanted to talk me into joining RETABLIR again." She said shifting awkwardly under his gaze.

"Am I that transparent?" He commented slowly returning to his desk. "The fact is, I do think that you would make a great asset to the company."

"Well, thank you for saying so." Amara replied sincerely, "There's still some things I need to figure out first though...but after I get all of that settled, I would love to join."

"Would you mind me asking what it is you need to 'figure out'?" Cross' expression was open, caring. He sat back against his desk and gave Amara his full attention. "Perhaps I could help."

"Well...umm..." Amara hesitated a moment feeling her stomach flip at his question. Why am I worried? It certainly couldn't hurt telling him. "I'm trying to find my past. I can't remember anything before ten years ago." She shrugged as the words fell out of her mouth. It was getting easier to talk about every time she mentioned it.

"You can't remember anything?" He repeated putting emphasis on "anything". "Is that why you went to the church? Were you able to uncover any memories while you were there?"

"Sort of." Amara said fidgeting with her hair. Cross noticed the action and frowned. "It was just clips of a couple things...it seemed familiar, but I don't actually remember it. It's frustrating."

"I see." Cross nodded as she spoke and he seemed to lighten a bit, "Well, just let me know if there is anything I can do to help."

"I will." Amara said happily. She was about to turn to leave when the picture on the wall caught her eye again. The woman with the hat and large glasses. Her sweet smile stood out more than anything. "That woman..."

"Amara?"

"...I know her..." She slowly walked to the photo and had another intense memory flash in her mind.

"The tests were inconclusive." The woman was speaking to someone, they were standing out of Amara's line of sight. She was peeking at them through a partially opened door. "As far as we can tell, there is no difference."

"So it's a failure then." Came a deep, smooth, familiar voice. "I have no choice then. We need to terminate the project."

"What?" She looked absolutely shocked. "They're just children!"

"They're a failed experiment and a danger to this planet. I won't allow a possible threat to surface because we were too soft to pull the plug."

"You're not worried about the planet!" She cried in disgust.

"I don't want to do this, but it must be done. You have until midnight. If you haven't taken care of it, then I'll send people who can, do I make myself clear?"

"You can't do this! Victor!"

He stepped out of the office and looked down at the little girl eavesdropping at the door and their eyes met. It was Director Cross.

Amara gasped and spun around grasping her sword, but he was already there. He caught her hand and brought his other hand up to her throat.

"You're not suppose to be alive." He said coldly. He breathed the word "Sleep" and she suddenly felt the spell envelope her and she slowly sunk to the ground. "You were always different from the others, but she kept just how different you were from me. I'm sorry."

Amara felt herself slipping into sleep and she couldn't stop it from happening.

Someone...help me!

* * *

Alistair shifted uncomfortably in his seat on the airship. He hadn't heard back from Amara or Adray and his nerves were hanging by a thread. Suddenly his phone rang and he almost jumped from how spring-loaded his nerves were.

"Hello? Adray, thank goodness. Where's Amara? How is she?" he asked.

"She's fine. A little wet and shaken but she's fine. I left her at headquarters with Cross. There's nothing to worry about," Adray replied. Alistair sighed with relief and rubbed his face.

"Thank you, Adray. I really appreciate this."

Alistair hung up his phone and turned to Uri.

"Amara's fine. She's with Cross now at RETABLIR."

* * *

Uri bobbed his head in response, but he had a nagging feeling at the back of his mind.

"Attention passengers," Came the captain's voice over the intercom, "We'll be arriving at Junon in fifteen minutes."

Uri settled down in his seat next to Alistair again and rested his head like before, except this time his body remained tense.

She's fine. He tried telling himself. I'm still just worried about earlier. She'll be all right.

-

After she finished eating, Samora excused herself from the table and snuck off to a place she could send Aeron a message.

/Just wanted to say hi./ She quickly wrote. /How are you doing?/

-

Aeron checked the message from Samora and closed his eyes tightly. A throbbing pain settled behind his eye and would not go away.

/I'm fine./ He wrote back. /I miss you. When can I see you again?/

-

Leah checked the gauges and called back to her brother.

"We're making good time." She said, "We'll be at Wutai in about two hours."

* * *

Alistair was happy that they'd land soon and be able to get to work, which would distract his mind from worrying about Amara.

"She's with Cross," he thought. "She's safe. She's okay now."

He sneaked a glance at Uri and could tell that the wolf-lion was uneasy as well. He sunk back into his seat and sighed.

"Why do we feel this way?" he wondered.

-

"Hey, there," Elia said a smile before she planted a chaste kiss on Adray's lips. "How are you doing?"

Adray sighed as he and Elia sat down at the table in the small cafe.

"I've been better," he said told her. She frowned and placed a hand over one of his.

"Tell me what's wrong?" she asked quietly. Adray looked down at their hands for a moment before looking back up at her with a faint smile.

"Okay."

* * *

Once they landed, their things were taken to the hotel they would be staying  
at and a soldier showed them to the reactor. Uri stepped into the elevator  
feeling overcome with anxiety. Samora saw how tense he was and laid a hand  
gently on his shoulder.

"It's alright." She told him.

He didn't really believe her, but he gave her a friendly smile for trying to  
make him feel better. As the elevator doors slid open there was a collective  
gasp among the four as they saw the observation tunnel leading to the reactor.  
The clear thick glass made it possible to see the sea life swarming around  
them. Fish, anemones, coral reefs, it was all breathtakingly beautiful.

"This is amazing." Samora said walking out and peering through the glass at a  
shark gliding by.

"Yeah it is." Uri said thinking how much Amara would have loved to see it.

-

Everything was dark when Amara started coming to and she heard distant voices humming around her. She took little comfort in that she was still alive and her mind raced to try and put the pieces together. Cross had known who she was. She was an experiment? A failed experiment he had said. He wanted to kill her ten years ago, but why?

_"Are you awake now?" _Asked a small voice.

_I...I can't move._ Amara answered.

_"They cast a paralyze spell on you."_ The voice told her. _"Can you open your __eyes?"_

It took all her will power to pry her eyes open and it took a minute for her vision to clear. She was in a medical laboratory, people in lab coats were looking at monotors and microscopes around her and she could just barely hear what they were mumbling.

Where am I? What's going on?

* * *

"Wow," Liam said, pressing his hands to go the glass and peering at the water. Alistair walked up behind him and crossed his arms.

"The planet really is beautiful," he told the younger boy. "And that's what makes it worth fighting for."

Liam looked up at him curious eyes for moment, then nodded.

"Yeah, you're right," he said. These really were good people. That would make what he needed to do harder.

-

"I just feel so disillusioned," Adray told Elia. "Like all that I've worked for means nothing. And now that I feel that way, I feel that I have no more purpose or drive in life."

Elia smiled sadly at him and cupped his face with her hand.

"RETABLIR doesn't see you for who you are. They're obviously the ones that have lost their way. Your true loyalty needs to be to yourself, Adray. You've sacrificed for so long. You need to find some happiness for yourself."

"I think..." he said slowly and cast his eyes down, "that I have found it."

He looked up at her, his face etched with guilt for pressing this on her. But she smiled and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

"Me too."

* * *

Arashi yawned. "Finally." he said with a smile at Leah.

* * *

Ben nodded at Arashi's response, but didn't say anything more about it. He wanted to change the subject so when he heard Leah call back their ETA, he decided to ask Arashi,

"Hey I was wondering," He spoke in a low tone, "do you actually like my sister?

* * *

Alistair led the group along the hallway until they reached a group of soliders.

"Are we going to see the prototype now?" he asked. The soldier nodded.

"Yes, sir. Right this way."

Alistair motioned to the others to follow.

"Let's see what we got ourselves into," he said smile.

-

Adray and Elia walked through a large garden toward the outskirts of Edge. Adray felt so content that it was hard to believe he was awake.

"Elisia," Adray said, stopping suddenly. "I don't know why you chose me, but I'm so glad you did. You've become so much to me and...I'm just grateful for all you've done for me."

Elia smiled laid a hand on his chest.

"You're an amazing man, Adray. And you've become something very special to me too."

Adray pulled her into a hug, and Elia's eyes widened.

"No one's ever hugged me before..."

Adray let go and she quickly smoothed her shock away. She grinned and removed his hat before snaking an arm around his neck.

"I'm such a lucky girl," she purred before pulling him into a passionate kiss.

* * *

"-" (I don't remember exactly what went here, but I gather from the following posts that there was a lot of tech talk about the reactor and the prototype being hooked up and PRESUL having to go out to oversee the connection)

* * *

Liam gaped at the man and took a step forward.

"We have to swim down there?" he said shrilly. This was definitely not what he had in mind.

"It'll be all right," Alistair said reassuringly. At the moment though he was probably as anxious as Liam. He turned to Uri and Samora.

"Are you guys ready then?"

-

Elia dialed Silyl and waited till he answered.

"Elia? What do you have to report?" he asked. A wicked smirk crossed Elia's face.

"I think we're ready."

* * *

Uri blinked at Alistair and reluctantly nodded.

This is hardly what I signed on for. He thought to himself as he checked his gear to make sure he had everything he needed. He really didn't have any experience with underwater materia, but he'd been taught about it. He hoped that would be enough to give him an edge while they were outside.

Samora shrugged and made sure she had everything she needed.

Oh, my phone. She took it out and placed it to the side along with her necklace. Don't want that getting wet.

"Ok." She said once she was finished. "I think I'm all set."

-

One of the scientists saw that Amara was awake and went over to her side to check her vitals.

"Let the director know she's awake." He said to another scientist before speaking to Amara. "He'll explain everything to you."

* * *

Alistair made sure he was ready, then nodded to the others.

"Good luck, everyone," he said, smiling. His nerves were on edge as he forced his body through the access hatch and into the water.

Liam waited for Uri and Samora to go, then quickly snatched Samora's phone and shoved it into a crack at the bottom of the one wall.

"Perfect. Only one more thing left to do."

He nodded to himself, then quickly ran to the access hatch and jumped in.

* * *

It was a strange sensation being in the water and not needing air. However the materia worked, it was working great! Samora and Uri swam towards the docking port the engineers would use to connect the prototype with the conduit.

The engineers were already there preparing the docking port when they came up. They each waved to the other and signalled where the four were needed so they could stay out of the way and be the most help. Uri and Samora complied and took their respective positions and waited as the submarine descended to the ocean floor, lowering the massive prototype with it.

-

Not long after the scientist had sent for him, Director Cross entered the lab. Had Amara been able to move, she would have broken the man's neck when he was close enough. As it was, she wasn't even able to manage a glare at him with the paralyze spell on her.

"Have you taken a sample yet?" He asked the scientist first, who nodded but gave him a look that seemed to mean he hadn't gotten any results yet. Cross merely nodded then turned to Amara. "I'm not sure what you remember, but I know you don't know everything."

He took a seat next to her, his face was grave and distant.

"Eighteen years ago," He started to tell her, "when geostigma had erupted and started spreading, I decided to start a program with the purpose of cleansing the lifestream of the alien matter. Since the Cetra were known as the planet's caretakers, it was believed they would have been the ones to successfully do this with little to no damage being done to the environment. The problem we faced was their recent extinction. The solution seemed simple. Recreate the Cetra."

Amara swallowed hard and her eyes widened as she listened.

"Professor Hojo had two Cetra's in his possession at one time." Cross continued. "We took several samples of the DNA he collected from them and used his process of gene therapy to accomplish this." He met her gaze then, his eyes devoid of the charming light that had greeted her when they first met. "Amara, you're the product of that experiment."

* * *

Alistair watched with anticipation as the prototype lowered into position.

"This could be the start of the planet's restoration," he thought. "And we get to be a part of it."

He looked over at Samora and Uri, and then at Liam, who seemed to have arrived a little late.

"I wish Amara could have been here," he thought with an ache in his heart.

* * *

Uri swished back and forth as the eddies from the submarine washed over him. Now that he had gotten used to the environment, he was actually enjoying himself and excited to be there even though he had to chase off the occasional shark that decided to investigate.

After the sub lowered the prototype onto the docking clamps, it departed and the mini subs and engineers went to work installing it. Everything seemed to be going well, and after awhile Uri wasn't sure why they really needed them here. He allowed himself to get involved with a little game of tag with a couple of clown fish when a looming shadow slowly drifted overhead. At first Uri thought it was the submarine again, but the arrival of the shadow was followed by a terrifying, low pitched gutteral noise that sent chills down his spine.

He recoiled and took up a fighting stance.

We're in trouble.

* * *

Arashi smiled a bit at the question and then nodded slightly. "Yeah...I do. Kinda from the first time I saw her and when I heard her voice...I automatically felt the urge...to protect her no matter what." He then smiled his normal goofy smile. "But before I really say the L word, I gotta find out her personality, y'know?" he said with a laugh. He then looked up at Leah and  
smiled. After all, this is the first time since my parents died that I actually feel genuine love towards anything.

* * *

Ben blinked at Arashi and his mouth dropped open.

"I guess. Wow." He said completely shocked. He hadn't known he was so serious about her and suddenly felt very protective. He studied Arashi a moment before Leah called back that they had arrived at their destination. He politely excused himself and went forward to take up his position as co-pilot.

"What were you two talking about?" Leah asked arching an eyebrow at her brother.

"Just...guy stuff." Ben replied awkwardly.

-

Cross studied Amara a moment letting the information sink in before he continued.

"You have no real parents, you were conceived in a test tube, Amara. We started with twenty-five specimens, only ten of which made it through incubation. Two died from complications during disconnection from the envitro chambers, leaving eight of you for study and observation."

Amara's eyes started burning and she shut them tightly, her breathing became ragged and every muscle in her body tensed.

"After a few months of tests, we realized that though you exhibited certain Cetra qualities and abilities, you couldn't be classified as such. You were different, a new race. The eyes and strange design on your necks was a genetic anomaly you all shared."

Shut up! Shut up! SHUT UP! Amara wanted to shout, but he continued speaking. Tears started forcing their way through her clenched eyes and trickled down her temple.

"We were still hopeful that you would be able to cleanse the lifestream." He said softer now, "The tests came back negative. The experiment was a failure. If it weren't for the incredible abilities you possessed I might have considered allowing you to grow up like normal children, but I couldn't allow another Sephiroth or Genesis to arise, so I did what I had to do."

He wiped the tears away from her face and she cringed inwardly at the touch. She opened her eyes and narrowed them at him.

"You weren't suppose to be alive." He told her sitting back in his chair. "But a certain opportunity presents itself with your existence. I don't think the kind doctor was forthcoming in the information she gave me, and I intend to find out what it was. I'm truly sorry Amara."

He got up and spoke to a scientist before leaving. Amara struggled against the spell trying to break free, but the scientists injected her with a syringe and she slowly sunk back into unconsciousness.

* * *

Arashi laughed at Ben's response and leaned back in his chair and looked at the dinner in a box. Ugh, this looks disgusting.

* * *

Alistair snapped his head around at the noise and froze when he saw the position that Uri was in.

"Oh dear..."

He frantically motioned to Liam and Samora at the creature that Uri was now facing. He saw Liam's face drop, but the boy quickly swam up to him with a nod.

"We're coming Uri!" he thought.

* * *

The monster rushed smoothly through the water and snapped at Uri. He was able to dodge out of the way just in time. The engineers saw the monster, but continued on undeterred fully confident that their "bodyguards" would take care of them. Uri hoped that their trust wasn't misplaced.

He swam as fast as he could away from the workers trying to distract the monster.

Hah, I'm bait! He might have thought that was humorous at a very different time.

Samora wasn't a very powerful swimmer, but with the sudden rush of adrenaline she was able to catch up to the monster and pierced it's back with her tantos as it was about to make another charge at Uri. It arched it's back and flung it's head to and fro trying to pick her off. She held on for dear life as it sped this way and that in an attempt to throw her off.

* * *

Alistair growled as he realized that he was at a disadvantage fighting under the water. Magic would be hard to perform, and punches would be very ineffectual.

"I should still be able to use some blizzard spells," he reasoned. That would have to do.

Meanwhile, Liam used his lithe little legs to propel himself at the beast. He pulled out his sylph blades and waited till it sped at him, still trying to shake Samora off.

"Take this!" he thought, and swiped upward at its neck with both blades. It gave a horrible bellow and knocked its body into him, throwing him aside with the force of a railway engine. He felt his mind blinking out of focus and tried desperately to stay awake as he felt his body sinking lower into the depths of the ocean.

* * *

Samora watched as Liam floated downward and pulled upward with all her might. She wrapped her legs tightly around its back and starting stabbing it over and over.

Uri turned swiftly and angled down to Liam. He swam as fast as he could and caught his shirt in his mouth and pulled him upward.

Come on, kid. Wake up. He thought desperatly.

* * *

"Come on, sweetheart, wake up."

Liam opened his eyes and saw a beautiful woman with long, wavy brown hair framing her face leaning over him.

"Mom?" he asked, his voice drifting into the black void around him. She smiled and reached her hand out to him. It was only then that he realized he had been drifting slowly downward and away from her. His arm felt heavy, but he managed to lift it enough for her to grab on to. She pulled and he suddenly felt the dizzying sensation of being pulled upward very quickly.

-

"Blizzard 2!"

Alistair shot a powerful blizzard spell at the monster's eyes, hoping to find a weak spot. The creature roared and swiped at him, but Alistair had propelled himself backward in anticipation of the attack. He looked over to where Uri was pulling Liam and felt his insides clench.

"I can't lose anyone here. Come on, Liam!"

-

Liam's eyes snapped open at the memory of the recent events hit him so suddenly that he clenched his head painfully. It was then that he realized he was being pulled up.

"Uri?" he wondered when he turned around and looked up. He smiled gratefully at the wolf-lion and indicated that he was ok. He wasn't though, really. He's seen his mom. But...she was...

* * *

While the monster swiped at Alistair, Samora took the opportunity to release it and swim away. As she was distancing herself from it, it spun around and slashed at her with its tail cutting her back open. Unable to cry out in pain, she gritted her teeth and spun back around as the monster was coming in for another attack.

"Divided Heavens!" She unleashed her limit break on the beast. It wailed a long dreadful cry then openned its maw and chomped down on her, taking her whole into its massive mouth.

-

Uri, having released Liam, gaped at the scene and sped forward. He sunk his teeth into the monster's jagged flesh and tore at it viciously.

* * *

"Samora!" both Alistair and Liam gasped in horror. Liam signaled at Alistair to hold its attention. Alistair fired more blizzard spells at it while Liam swam as quickly as he could underneath it. The creature, wriggling to shake Uri off, gave a fearsome bellow at Alistair and swam toward him.

"This'll hurt like hell!" Liam thought. He held up his Sylph Blades and braced his arms. The creature swam over him and right into his blades, slicing its underside right down the middle. Liam was thrown to the side by the tremendous wake and took a moment to reorient himself to see if his attack had done any good.

* * *

As Liam's blades cut through its belly, the monster spasmed and gurgled. It let out a final roar before slowly sinking down to the ocean floor. As it sunk down, small blades were working inside its neck to slice an opening big enough for Samora to work herself out of. Uri saw the stream of blood coming from the throat and released his grip to swim down and help Samora dig her way free.

In a mess of blood and scaly flesh, together they were able to tear and slice her out. She quickly swam away and was relieved to see that the engineer crew had finished with the installation. They signalled the all clear for them to go back inside the reactor chamber. Samora didn't need to be told twice. She waved to Alistair and Liam and swam back with Uri.

"Oh god!" She gasped once she was out of the water. Blood trailed down the cut on her back and she stumbled to her knees. Uri was right there checking her condition but she dismissed him when Liam entered the reactor room. She crawled over to him and threw her arms around him in a tight hug.

"I was so worried! Are you alright?" She managed to ask before she fell unconscious from shock.

-

Director Cross stared at his phone a frown creating deep etches in his face. After an hour, he finally picked up the phone and dialed Adray.

"Adray?" He said, his voice hoarsh. "I'm sorry to call you on your off time, but..." His voice trailed off as he worked up the nerve to tell him the lie. "There has been an accident. Ms. Eilian took a flight out to Junon to be with her friends and the airship had a mechanical error. It crashed near the mountain range. There were no survivors."

He paused, feeling his stomach churn with disgust for himself, but he continued on.

"I'm sorry to ask you this, but I know you're personal friends with Alistair. Could you call him and give him the news? Thank you, Adray. I appriciate it."

He hung the phone up and slumped back in his chair.

It's what must be done. He told himself. Words he had to convince himself with before when he ordered the children be eliminated and before that when he was in SOLDIER infantry. They were just as empty now as they were then, but it was the descision he had made.

-

Once Leah landed their ship, they were led to the quarters they would be staying at and were given orders to report to the CO in charge of the restoration crew in the morning. Ben excused himself from the two so he could get to bed and Leah heaved a heavy sigh as she slung her gear on top of her bunk.

"Sorry this isn't exactly first class," Leah said to Arashi, "but we shouldn't need to be here too long."


	15. Chapter 15

Liam was completely caught off guard by Samora's spontaneous hug, then even more so when she suddenly collapsed.

"We'd better get her to a medic," Alistair said, picking her up and rushing her away from the dumbfounded boy. Not for the first time, he felt a twinge of guilt about what he was going to do.

"You have to do this. You can't back out now."

"You go ahead," he told Uri. "I'll be right behind you."

He waited for the wolf-lion to leave the room, then scrambled to the crack and retrieved Samora's phone. Now he only had to wait till nightfall.

Adray slowly put down the phone, completely put off by Cross' strange message. He left the girl with the director and suddenly she's in a fatal airship accident?

"Who was that?" Elia whispered in his ear next to him on her sofa. Adray blinked for a moment, shaken from his thoughts, and turned to her.

"Mr. Cross, the director of RETABLIR. He said that my friend's one companion just died in an airship after I left her at his office. It just seems...strange."

Elia sat up and looked at him with concern.

"You think he's lying?" he asked, trying to plant more seeds of doubt. Adray gave a little shrug.

"I don't know what to think. But...I can't tell Alistair unless I'm sure."

Elia's wheels were turning very quickly. What was that old relic up to? Something very secret, she was sure. She knew that Aeron and the Triune had taken a sudden interest to the girl, and she was sure that Cross had done the same. The question was, what had he really done with her?

"Well, Adray, either she's dead or Cross has her held somewhere. Either way, it doesn't seem good for her. You should probably tell Alistair your concerns."

Adray stared at his phone, feeling his insides turn. He slowly nodded, then turned to her.

"Yes, you're right," he said with a small smile. "Thank you, Elisia."

She gave him a kiss on the cheek and smiled back.

"You know I'm here for you," she said softly.

"I know."

* * *

Cross walked down the corridors of RETABLIR reviewing his recent actions. He was sure he'd taken care of everything. The flight to Junon that crashed, he'd had her belongings placed on board and a woman matching Amara's description was seen boarding. There were no live passengers, that was difficult, but necessary. He was able to go down earlier dressed as one of the maintenance crew and set up the malfunction.

He was feeling concerned about Adray. He seemed to be getting more distant as of late. He wasn't sure he'd be able to trust him to contact Alistair, but it couldn't be helped at the moment. All he needed to do was make sure all the evidence pointed to the girl wanting to join her friends and Cross setting her up with a flight. He had to keep it simple.

Samora's eyes slowly flickered open and she looked around the infirmary and suddenly remember what happened. She quickly sat up and suddenly felt light headed.

"Whoa!" Said a medic. "Take it easy there. You suffered a massive trauma."

She slowly sat back and saw Uri from the corner of her eye.

"Good to see you're alright." Uri said to her with a smile. She smiled back and gave him a little wave.

"Good to be seen." She replied then checked around the room. "Where's Liam? Is he okay?"

"Yes, he's fine." Uri answered her. "He's around here somewhere. He had a few bruises as well, but overall he's doing well."

* * *

"I'm here," Liam said as he walked through the door. He walked over to Samora's bed slowly.

"How are you doing?" he asked, not quite looking her in the eye. Alistair's phone rang and suddenly all eyes turned to him.

"Yes? Hello, Adray," he answered.

"Alistair, listen to me closely. Cross just called me to say that Amara jumped on an airship to Junon to see you and it crashed in the mountains. There were no survivors."

Alistair felt an invisible hand tighten around his throat and he sank into a nearby chair, the room spinning around him.

"But listen to me. I don't know if I believe this. It all seems very strange to me. I wouldn't trust Cross. Find out for yourself if you need to; just be careful."

Alistair covered his face with his hand and nodded, even though Adray wouldn't be able to see it.

"Thank you...Adray."

"Of course."

Alistair hung up and took a deep breath before looking at Uri, sure that his eyes would say it before he could get the words out.

* * *

"I'm fine." Samora said softly to Liam then turned her attention to Alistair when his phone rang.

They listened intently and watched as Alistair's face fell. Uri immediately stood to his feet and froze in place. He felt his stomach tighten and he knew something terrible had happened. When Alistair looked at him, his fears were confirmed.

"It's Amara." He said more than asked.

* * *

"She..." Alistair trailed off, then buried his face in his hands. He took a deep breathe, but couldn't look up.

"Cross said she took an airship that crashed in the mountains. There were no survivors."

He kept seeing her face, flashing through memories they had together and felt himself getting sick. But he remembered what Adray said and pulled himself together. There was still hope. He looked up at Uri with determined eyes.

"Adray seems to think that Cross is lying and is up to something. Adray's known him for a long time. I'm going to believe in what he says, not Cross."

* * *

Samora's eyes widened as Alistair told them about Amara. She glanced at Liam and frowned then looked down at Uri who she was sure had stopped breathing. She knew how they were feeling, it was indescribable.

"She's alive." Uri said resolutely. "I know she's alive. He has to be lying."

"Uri..." Samora said softly. She wasn't sure she should be the voice of reason at a time like this and looked to Liam and shrugged. Why would he lie about that?

"She's alive!" Uri growled. I never should have left her. "I need to go back."

"Wait." Samora struggled to sit up. "If he is lying, then charging back is just going to endanger her. We need to find out more first."

* * *

Alistair knew Samora was just trying to be reasonable, but logic wasn't much of a comfort at this point.

"Find out how? Cross is the head of RETABLIR. Who would be willing to inform on him?" he asked. Liam looked up and smiled, not sure why he was bothering to help these people.

"Not who. What."

Alistair looked at Liam with a puzzled expression. Liam pulled out a laptop from his bag and placed it on the stand next to Samora's bed. He entered RETABLIR's database remotely and came up to the user sign in.

"Cynthia, right?" he asked, looking at Samora. Alistair growled slightly in frustration.

"Liam, what are you going on about?" he asked. Liam chuckled a little, thought the situation was rather tense.

"Samora and I are hackers, remember?"

* * *

"Well it was." Samora said frowning, "He may have changed his password though. Still, it can't hurt to try. What are you going to look for?"

Aeron slowly unwrapped the bandage from his face and studied his eye in the mirror. Whatever happened before, it caused the geostigma to drain from his eye. He never thought he'd see the silver iris again and it was like looking back at a stranger.

This can't be real. He thought pulling down his eye lid. He had a startling thought. If his geostigma was gone, than maybe his power had disappeared as well. He reached out to the shadows with his mind and felt comfort from the fact he could still bend them to his will. Maybe it's not completely gone then...just like before.

"Do you remember anything more?" Asked the soft little voice from before.

I do. Amara answered within her dream state. Her name was Beth, the doctor who raised us. She tried to save us, but...I saw them die. The girl who was with me, Kira, she drowned and I was the only one left.

"They'll kill you when they find out what they want. You have to get out."

I know. I'll get out and when I do I'll find Cross.

* * *

"Any background history on Cross. It might give some insight into what he would want with Amara. That's the best I can think of."

Liam quickly put in Adray's password and the computer verified the information.

"Guess he's been too busy to change it," he thought. He accessed the database and pulled up Cross' file.

"Care to see?" he asked the others as he opened it.

Elia closed the door to her temporary house in Edge and dialed Aeron.

"Hey, Aeron, something's going on with Cross and the girl that the Triune is so interested in. According to Cross she crashed in an airship in the mountains and died, but Lasbard and I are both of the opinion that the old man is up to something."

* * *

Samora looked over the screen and frowned.

"It says he worked for Shinra," She said aloud browsing over the information. "He was in line to be SOLDIER, but never made rank. Umm. Eighteen years ago he founded RETABLIR and initiated a program for planet restoration. It says the first trial ran for a few years, but failed to yield any positive results so was terminated. He went on to develope the planet monitors and advanced research in that field and his most recent project has been the prototype. Guys, there is really nothing there that would suggest him wanting anything with Amara."

She looked at them reluctantly, knowing that was not the answer they wanted to hear.

"I'm sure he is up to something." Aeron replied nodding his head. "I can't imagine that he would have just let her go after having such an interest in her, but that will have to wait for now. It sounds as if the commander is sufficiently doubtful of his alliances. What are your plans for him?"

* * *

Alistair shook his head.

"There has to be something..."

Something in that file bothered him. Not because it was anything definite, but because it was so vague.

"The first program...the one he terminated," he said, feeling his convictions increasing in strength. "Is there anything more? Can you find out what that was about?"

Liam shrugged and handed the laptop over to Samora.

"Worth a shot," he said.

"I think he's ready," Elia said with a wicked smile like an animal that had conquered its prey. "Like you said, he's very disillusioned with RETABLIR and perfectly enthralled with little ol' me, so I think the time is right. I'm going to tell Silyl to meet me at the Bloody Harpie. You know, that tavern on the outskirts of Edge. He'll probably rent a backroom, and I'll bring Lasbard  
with me under false pretenses. The rest I think you know."

* * *

"There isn't a whole lot." She said as she chewed on her lip. "It says it went on for eight years and...oh hey, Liam. Look, Dr. Powers was head of the operation. She's the woman who was assasinated by FESTANCA."

"Eight years?" Uri repeated coming up to the bed Samora was in. "Where was it? Does it say where?"

"Um, yeah. Mt. Nibel." Samora frowned at Uri. "Why? Is that important?"

Uri stood there for a moment processing the information.

"She was eight when I found her." He said aloud. "She was in the desert, she had been walking a long time...it's possible..." His eyes widened. He started pacing the room and Samora stared at him wide eyed. He looked like he had lost his mind.

"She was part of the project. Somehow, she was part of the project. He must of known her the moment he saw her. Terminated... what does it mean terminated?" He stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Alistair. "Her nightmares. She told me once that she was covered in blood and people were chasing her. They tried to kill her."

"Uri..." Samora said quietly, "I know you're hurting right now, but that's a bit of a stretch."

* * *

"No, no he's on to something," Alistair said, standing up. "Cross asked you guys to lunch, and he tried to recruit Amara multiple times. He had a special interest in her."

He crossed the room and stared at the laptop screen.

"It fits. All of it. Amara was one of the last remaining pieces of Cross' project. But if it was terminated...that means..."

He looked up, completely horrified.

"He's trying to finish her off right now, make sure all loose ends are cut..."

Liam exchanged a look with Samora, then turned to Alistair.

"What does this mean then?" he asked. Alistair looked at Uri.

"What do you think, Uri? I say we go right now back to Edge. If he is trying to kill her, then we don't have any time to spare."

* * *

"I'm going." Uri said determinedly.

"Should we all go though?" Samora said slinging her legs over the bed. "If Cross hears that we all left suddenly...I don't know if it's a good idea. Alistair?"

* * *

Alistair checked the clock on the wall and turned to the others.

"We're all going. We'll head to our rooms, then wait until everyone's asleep and take off. I know we want to hurry to help Amara," he said, and looked at Uri at this point, "But we need to play it smart, or else we won't be able to do any good for anyone."

Liam sighed mentally with relief. He still had time to call Aeron and get his own plans underway.

"Well," he said, and went for the door, "I guess I'll be in my room then. Come and get me when it's time."

* * *

As soon as Liam left the room, the medic stepped back in an checked Samora over.

"I...I need to go for a walk." Uri said leaving as well, his mind racing. Don't worry Amara. I'm coming.

"You'll need to stay over night for observation." The medic informed her.

"What?" Samora said disbelieving. "I can't stay here tonight."

"No arguing. Now lay back and get some rest." He gently pushed her back against her pillow and left the room again.

"I guess you'll need to get me when we're ready." She said to Alistar. She turned on her side as he left and suddenly remembered leaving her phone back in the reactor room. Damit!

Aeron sat in his quarters staring at his phone. Samora never returned his messages and he was starting to become anxious. Against his better judgement, he sent off another message to her.

/Is everything alright?/

* * *

"All right," Alistair said with a nod. "Just take care of yourself till then."

Alistair walked out of the room and, seeing that Uri had walked off and Liam had gone to his room, decided to retire for the night until it was time to sneak out for the rescue.

"I said I'd protect you Amara, with these two hands. And I will."

Liam sat on his bed and prepared to contact Aeron when a message came though.

"How convenient," he thought with a noise of distaste. He read the message, then quickly typed a response.

/It's Liam. Cut the crap. I know who you're working for and what you want. And I'm willing to give it to you. Let's deal./

* * *

Aeron stared at the message and smiled to himself. If the boy had known who he was, than that would explain his behavior whenever they were in the same room together.

So he was using Samora as well. He thought feeling a twinge of pity for her. To what end I wonder?

He dialed Samora's number and waited for Liam to pick up.

"What did you have in mind, boy?" He emphasised boy knowing it would irritate him.

* * *

Liam gritted his teeth and forced himself to remain calm and in control. He was making the deal. He had the power here, nobody else.

"I know you interested in our little group. Samora, the mage, and the wolf-lion are escaping the Junon facility tonight. You can capture them on their way back to Edge."

He waited for the information to sink in, then continued.

"Or I can tell Samora exactly who you are and you'll have no chance at getting near us again. If you want this to work, I want something in return."

* * *

Cheeky little bastard.

"Name your price." Aeron said casually, easily keeping his voice level and calm.

* * *

"Arrogant scum."

"I want your sword," he said firmly, making sure to be confident so as not to let on what his true motives were.

* * *

Aeron arched an eyebrow. He would have laughed at the absurdity if he wasn't  
sure Liam had an alterior motive. Whatever his true intentions were, this was  
too perfect an opportunity to pass up.

"Done." He said resolutely and smirked inwardly.

* * *

"I'm not stupid," Liam snapped at the man. "I need a way to know that you're going to uphold your end of the bargain."

He wasn't about to walk into the lion's den without being prepared before hand. Just cause he was a kid didn't mean he didn't know how to deal with these types. This jerk's arrogance would be his downfall.

* * *

"And what exactly would that be?" Aeron asked him, "You say you know who I am then you know there would be little to keep me from killing you once I take your companions. In reality it doesn't matter if you do expose me. I will capture them and you will not be so lucky."

He paused to let the information sink in.

"So how about this, you give me PRESUL, I give you my gunblade and I let you live. So what is it to be? Do we have a deal?"

* * *

Liam clutched the phone as he bit his lip. That really didn't make him feel reassured. Still, Aeron was still in the dark about his true agenda, so he had that measure of comfort.

"It's a deal."

* * *

After they made the arrangements and disconnected, Aeron quickly got ready to go. He called Vigdis to report what had transpired before leaving Edge. It was obvious that Liam had other intentions, but as long as he kept to their bargain, it didn't matter.

As he boarded his aircraft, he felt a strange sensation in his chest that he had not felt for a long time.

I'm sorry Samora. He thought guiltily. He had to admit to himself that he'd developed strong feelings for her, but it did not change his mission. It just made it harder.

-

Uri walked out to where the Canon had once sat twenty years ago and looked out across the ocean.

You were going to drag me everywhere. He thought sadly. Chocobo racing at the Gold Saucer, snow boarding at the great glacier, materia hunting so we can finally get the mastered materias...

He lowered his head and started sobbing then lifted his head and howled mournfully at the moon. Slowly he turned around and made his way back to his room.

Please be alright.

* * *

Alistair felt like time was dragging by as slowly as possible. He stood up and began to prowl around the room, going over all that happened in his mind.

"I can't lose you, Amara. I love you too much."

He glanced up at the clock and saw that it was finally time. He went over to the door and slid it open slowly. Seeing no one in the hallway, he quietly made his way to Liam's room, which was closest.

"Yeah?" Liam whispered as he opened the door.

"It's time," Alistair answered back softly. Liam nodded and made sure he had everything with him before the two went over to Uri's room.

"Uri? It's time," Alistair said. He waited for the wolf-lion to come to the door, wondering in the meantime how to get Samora out of the sick bay.

* * *

Arashi smiled. "Its no problem. But the food was horrid. I hope Wutai has some decent food."

* * *

Leah laughed at Arashi's comment.

"Yeah, I hate MREs too." She said smiling brightly, "There's a nice place in town I'll take you to. Come on."

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before linking her arm with his and dragging him off base.

-

Vigdis ran a cloth down the edge of her blade cleaning off the blood of the augmented soldier's former general. He had been a nausance and she decided that she would be more capable of leading the assault. Of course none of the augments disagreed since they were so drugged out, they would follow a moogle if it barked orders at them.

After quickly taking charge, she led them out to the first of the villages they would be attacking. Since the com network was down, they could sweep through the countryside without any difficulty at all. The military probably wouldn't know of the attack until they were right on top of them.

It was perfect.

-

Samora was chewing on her lip as she watched the clock. It was late and she was sure they were ready to leave by now, but that blasted nurse was still hanging around.

"Excuse me." She said after a little while. The nurse poked her head in and asked if everything was alright. "Could you get me an extra pillow, mine is getting a little flat."

After retrieving another pillow, the nurse walked up to Samora and started to fluff up her pillows. Samora gave her a nice smile.

"Thanks. I'm really sorry about this." She told her before connecting a solid punch to her face. Then nurse collapsed onto the bed unconscious and Samora effectively traded places with her. She apologised again and snuck out of the infirmary to where she hoped Alistair, Uri and Liam were waiting.

* * *

"Samora, I was worried about how we'd sneak you out," Alistair said as they hurried over to her. He peeked around the corner and stifled a laugh. "But I see you take care of that."

He looked at the others and took a calming breath.

"All right. We've got to move fast now. Uri, you remember the way, right? I think you should take the lead so you can smell if anyone is coming up. Let's go."

* * *

Arashi was surprised at the unexpected kiss as well as the force of Leah pulling him. He just hoped the food would be worth it...and that he didnt fall asleep during dinner.

-

Lau sighed and dialed Silyl's cell number.

* * *

Uri took up his position ahead of the group and led them back to the hanger they landed at with very few close runins with any secruity guards making their rounds of the facility.

As luck would have it, the airship they had come in on was still docked and refueled.

"I wish Leah was here." Uri said looking up at the ship. "Anyone else know how to fly?"

"We shouldn't have to." Samora said with a shrug. "The captain said this ship was so advanced it didn't really need a crew as long as it had a destination. All we need to do is put in return co-ordinates for Edge and it'll fly us right there. He showed me how on our way here."

"Good lets go then." Uri said bounding to the ship.

-

Leah sat down with Arashi at the restaurant and ordered her food. She liked the sushi but figured he might not want something so exotic so she recommended some other dishes.

"So you think you'll be awake for a while?" She asked him with a charming smile.

* * *

Silyl heard his phone ring and groaned as he saw who it was.

"Yes, Lau?" he asked in as dignified and respectful a voice as he could muster. It wouldn't do to anger the already tempermental man.

* * *

Aeron looked over the gauges in his stealth ship and saw that there was an airship coming his way out of Junon.

That must be them. He thought setting an intercept course.

-

Amara slowly felt herself returning to conscousness. She heard faint voices around her, but kept her eyes closed. She tried to keep her breathing even and shallow, hoping the vital monitor would not change to alert the lab technicians she was awake. They were very close to finishing their tests it sounded like.

There isn't much time. She thought listening to them talk about her.

* * *

Liam felt his insides doing flip-flops as he realized that his moment of revenge was drawing very near.

"This is it," he thought, feeling his Sylph Blades under his blazer. "I'll send this bastard straight to hell."

* * *

Aeron came up on their ship and activated an EMP and directed at the airship. He hesitated a moment, his thoughts briefly flashing to Samora and her quirk of biting her lip when she was anxious or nervous. He shook the thought off and fired the pulse.

-

"What's happening?" Uri asked tensing up as the ship lost power. Samora scanned the instruments and shook her head.

"I have no idea!" She cried jerking back on the steering wheel. "**! We're going done. Everybody hang on!"

* * *

"Oh hell..." Alistair said as he gripped his chair. The ship hit the ground and the fram shuddered violently under the strain. The lights went out and Alistair felt his head smack into something hard.

He wasn't sure of how much time had passed before he sat up and groaned. His forehead stung and he took off his one glove to touch his forehead and felt the blood running down it.

"Is everyone all right?" he asked shakily.

* * *

Uri had come through the crash unharmed, but the wound on Samora's back had reopened and was bleeding out onto the floor. She groaned as pain wracked her body and Uri trotted over to her side to check her.

"I could be better." She said struggling to stand. She made a quick survery of the room and started to panic when she didn't see Liam. "Where is Liam?"

-

Aeron landed his aircraft a short distance away from the airship. He studied the wreckage and saw that it wasn't too badly damaged.

They should still be alive. He thought entering the airship.

* * *

Liam stumbled out of the ship. He had a few scratches and scuffs but nothing serious. He saw Aeron approaching and turned back to the entryway.

"Guys, I'm outside!" he called, then ran over to a large rock and hid behind it. He figured he'd wait for Aeron to grab them before appearing to make his demands.

-

"He's outside," Alistair said as Liam's yell could be heard. He stood up, feeling his head spin, and put his glove back on.

"Come on. We'd better figure out what's going on, and quickly."

He hurried out of the ship and into the inky blackness of the night.

* * *

Uri did his best to help Samora stand the rest of the way and walk out of the damaged ship. They staggered out of the ship and Samora almost fell to her knees when her feet made contact with the uneven ground.

"I'm ok." She told Uri standing aright. Her eyes scanned the darkened landscape trying to pick out Liam. "Liam? Where are you?"

Uri sniffed around for him, but caught a different scent instead. He knew exactly who it was before his eyes picked his dark silhouette walking towards them. He crouched down low and let out a low growl.

What is he doing here? He thought as the hairs along his back pricked up.

"Aeron?" Samora said following Uri's gaze. No. No this can't be right.

He stood motionless for a long moment staring them down.

"I'm sorry Samora." He said quietly then rushed forward.

* * *

"I knew it!" Alistair barely had time to think before Aeron charged them. He lifted his hand and aimed it at the assassin.

"Thunder 2!" he called, knowing even before he unleashed it that it wouldn't work. His head was too dizzy and his mind to confused with everything to concentrate clearly ont he spell. Instead of waiting, he charged forward and reinforced his fist as he threw a punch at Aeron.

-

Liam tensed from behind the rock and looked to see that he was close behind Samora and Uri. He pulled out his Sylph Blades and glared in Aeron's direction.

"Hurry up, you scum. I don't want to have to do this myself."

* * *

Aeron easily dodged the spell and dashed to the side to avoid Alistair's punch. He arched an eyebrow as he studied his movements. He was sluggish, he must have been badly injured in the crash. As far as he could tell, Uri was the only one without a scratch.

"No stop!" Samora called after Alistair. As the words were escaping her mouth, Uri bounded forward and collided into Aeron's side. "Uri wait!"

Her heart was beating so fast and she was still in shock from the crash her mind didn't know what to think. This can't be happening. He wouldn't attack us...

Aeron leaped back with the momentum from Uri's attack and quickly spun around. He landed on his feet and braced himself against the wolf-lion's next assault. As Uri charged forward, Aeron ducked down then suddenly sprung up and kick flipped back. His boots made contact and sent Uri flying with a whimper.

Samora gasped as Uri was hit and instinctively pulled out her tantos.

"Please stop." She whispered desperately, but he came at her next.

* * *

Alistair sank to one knee after Aeron dodged his attack and felt a slick mess on his forehead.

"Still bleeding," he thought. He turned shakily and saw that Uri had been kicked to the side, with only Samora remaing.

"But where is Liam?" he wondered.

-

Liam emerged from his hiding place, but was still out of Samora's range of sight. He made sure his weapons were tucked away so as to keep from raising any alarm and waited for Aeron to take down his last target.

"Then we can finally finish this up," he thought with grim satisfaction.

* * *

Samora was fully aware of the blood coursing down her back and now dripping down her legs as she stood waiting for the person she thought she might be in love with to attack her.

His movements were smooth and lightning fast, but she had enough of her wits about her to track them. He dashed at her, hand drawn in a fist. He brought it forward to knock her down, but she dropped to the ground and rolled to the side, sprang up and slashed her blades at him. He whirled about and blocked every attempt she made to stab at him. She screamed in frustration and brought both tantos down aiming at his chest. He caught her wrists and stared into her eyes. She looked up in his and saw that they were matching silver now.

"Don't hold back." His voice was quiet, level, but it almost sounded like a plea. Her eyes widened at him and she brought her foot up against his torso and kicked back with all her might. She tore her wrists away with her backwards flip and sprang up as soon as she landed arching her right hand upward. She managed to leave a slice from his abdomen across his chest and blood flung off her blade.

He looked at her and smiled seemingly not even bothered by the long gash.

"I trusted you." She said to him while tears streamed down her face. The exertion was becoming too much and the blood loss was making her lose consciousness. She ran forward for another attack, but stumbled and fell to the ground. Aeron quickly dipped down and caught her before she hit. He gently lowered her down then stood to his feet and looked in Liam's direction.

"Shadows are my home, boy." He told him, "You really thought you could sneak up on me?"

* * *

Liam scoffed at the "ridiculous" statement and moved forward, crossing his arms as he stood watching the assassin.

"Let's deal then. I delivered my end. Now you deliver yours."

His eyes traveled to Alistair and Uri, and then finally to Samora. The sight made him feel slightly sick. But he looked at Aeron and knew he was doing the right thing. His mother needed to be avenged.

* * *

Uri pulled himself gradually to his feet only to collapse again. Aeron's hit had been precise striking his diaphram and cracking a few ribs. It was difficult to breath and he almost didn't hear Liam's words over his wheezing. His head shot up and he glowered at the boy.

He betrayed us!

-

Samora's eyes slowly traveled to Liam and widened in shock. She had cared about the boy, even starting thinking of him as family. She tightened her hands into fists and shook with anger.

"Son of a **." She managed to growl at him.

-

Aeron studied him for a moment and smirked.

"A sword for your friends." He said unsheathing his gunblade and thrust it into the ground. "If that's truly what you want than take it. But I have a feeling there is something deeper. Why don't you tell me what you really want?"

* * *

"I don't believe it," Alistair thought, staying as still as possible so that he wouldn't make a wrong move and pass out. "How could he do this?"

-

Liam glared hatefully at Samora for her choice of words. She wasn't his main concern at the moment though.

"What I want?" Liam asked, turning his gaze back to Aeron. He grabbed the gunblade and hurled it as far away as his arms could manage.

"What I want is to see you dead!" he yelled, pulling out his Sylph Blades. He wanted to jump at the man and stab him right there through the heart. But something was stopping him. He knew it was pointless to ask, pointless to try to get any answer out of this murder but the words came forth anyway.

"Now I have a question for you," he said, panting from the built up rage. "Why did you do it? Why did you kill my mother!"

* * *

Aeron was genuinely surprised by the boy's outburst.

So that's what this has been about.

"I see." His face was expressionless as he looked back at Liam, "I can't say I remember your mother so I can't tell you why I killed her. I kill people, that's my job. Do you expect me to recall all the faces of the peope that die by my hands?" He took a step forward to the boy towering over him. "What was the most important day of your life, was no more than just another Monday or Tuesday to me. You want me dead? Well, come on and give it a try."

* * *

Aeron's monstrous words hurt him worse than he ever thought they could. How could anyone take innocent lives so easily? The day that the most important person in his life left him all alone and his entire world crumbled was not even worth making an imprint in his memory.

"You heartless bastard!" he screamed and unleashed a flurry of fast slashes with his Sylph Blades at Aeron's chest, ready to kill this man and be done with it.

-

Silyl paced his bedchamber in his nightgown, wondering why he hasn't heard updates on the current plans. He snatched his phone up and dialed Vigdis.

"Vigdis, how is the Wutai operation proceeding? And what of Aeron and the Eilian girl?"

* * *

Even though Aeron blocked and dodged Liam's onslaught with little difficulty, he was impressed with his skill level.

"Come on!" He goaded him, "Is that the best you've got?"

While Liam was coming at him, he noticed the locket hanging from his neck. That was something he did recognize. It belonged to a woman who stumbled in on him assassinating a RETABLIR agent. She had foolishly tried to help and Aeron had very little choice but to kill her. She had a child with her, but he posed little threat so Aeron left him alive. So Liam was the boy that was with her that day.

-

Vigdis answered the call from Silyl laughing.

"Sorry," She apologised, "I haven't had this much fun in awhile. We're coming up on the villiage that the highwind children were reported to have landed in. Aeron gave me the status of his mission and is going to capture the rogue group. The Eilian girl is MIA, supposedly killed in a airship crash. Elia believes that Cross is detaining her however."

* * *

Liam gritted his teeth. Even without his weapon Aeron was managing to dodge his attacks. This was supposed to be a quick and easy kill, not a game for this twisted monster.

"Take this!" he yelled and sprang into the air, aiming a kick at Aeron's neck while twisting in midair to follow up the attack with a stab of his blade.

-

Silyl gave a disapproving noise at her jovial mood, but made no mention of it.

"Good, proceed with your mission then," he said. "This news of the Eilian girl is troubling though. I'll have to have Elia look into it when she and Lasbard storm the headquarters tomorrow. Whatever Cross' purpose with her is, it's better left unfulfilled."

* * *

Aeron recoiled as the kick connected with his neck, but he was able to catch Liam's hand in mid-air. He spun around a few times and threw the boy away from him.

"My turn."

He sprinted forward as Liam was flying through the air, jumped up and flipped forward to drive his heel into Liam making him crash back down to the earth.

* * *

Liam coughed violently as he picked himself off the ground. How could this be happening? The man didn't even have his weapon and he still had the upper hand.

"Not for long," he told himself. He regained his battle stance, still panting.

"Justice!" he cried, unleashing his Limit Break.

* * *

Samora watched the two locked in combat. Her heart was racing and she held her breath.

"NO!" She cried at Aeron when he kicked Liam down. He had glanced at her then and she thought she saw something in his eyes - restraint.

-

Aeron braced himself against the sudden flurry of quick slices. He was able to block and evade a few of the hits, but most of them landed their target leaving trails of blood behind. Even though Aeron was so much larger than the boy, he was still able to kick him a good distance into the air before unleashing his final blow.

Aeron was rocked by the impact and was held suspended for a moment as they passed through him. His body fell limply to the ground and he was just barely able to pull his feet under him before he hit the ground.

He glared up at Liam and slowly staggered to his feet breathing heavily.

Time to finish this. He thought then his eyes flickered to Samora who was watching him wide-eyed and he felt a twinge of guilt once more. I won't kill him.

"Possession." He said and started phasing out as he unleashed his limit break. His ghostly figure flew to Samora and merged into her. She coughed and siezed and screamed as he took over her body. Suddenly she fell silent and slowly stood to her feet and looked at Liam.

"This is going to hurt." Aeron said using her voice and rush punched him.

* * *

"Barrier!" Liam called, throwing up a defensive shield. He was protected from the hit but Aeron's force still caused him to stagger back. He looked up and growled in frustration. He couldn't just attack Samora, even if it was Aeron possessing her. Using her was one thing, but he wasn't like Aeron. He wouldn't just kill innocent people in his way.

"Come out of her, you coward!" he yelled. Even though his tone was aggressive, he felt himself unconsciously backing away from his opponent. Things were not going at all how he had planned.

* * *

Uri gasped as Samora became possessed and struggled to pull himself over to Alistair.

"We have to stop this." Uri told him as he fought to breath, "Do you think you can heal us?"

-

What are you doing to me? Samora screamed in her mind trying to take back control of her body. Aeron forced her to draw her katana and take several swings at Liam. Stop it!

"I don't want her getting hurt." Aeron told him sincerely while walking closer to him, "And she doesn't want you dead. Give up now."

-

Ben was walking the parameter of the base they were lodging at when he heard distant cries of terror. He raced up to a nearby tower and looked out. His heart skipped a beat as he saw an army breaking through the village walls.

"Oh my God." He whispered, then raced as fast as his legs could cary him to sound an invasion alarm.

* * *

"I think I...can try," Alistair replied. He stood up but the sudden movement caused his head to swim and he collapsed to the ground.

"I'm sorry," he told Uri, then sank his head to the ground.

-

"I won't give up. I'll never give up until you're dead!" Liam screamed.

He dodged the first few swings, then blocked the last. Using the moment where Aeron was thrown off, he dived between Samora's legs and kicked the back of her leg, causing her to collapse to the ground.

"You really don't want her to get hurt?" he asked, placing one of his Sylph Blades to her neck and keeping the other ready for a surprise attack with the katana. "Then come out of her."

* * *

Please stop this Aeron! Samora begged. She wasn't afraid for herself, but surprisingly worried about both of them even though she knew they had both used her and betrayed her.

You're worried about me? He thought to her feeling the cold blade against her neck.

"Very well." Samora's voice intoned Aeron's words before he phased out of her leaving her to collapse onto the ground. As soon as he solidified he whirled around to face Liam.

"I guess I'll have to end this myself then. Shadow Sword!" He called unleashing his limit break and gathering the scattered shadows together to cast against Liam.

* * *

Liam turned and saw Aeron unleash his limit break.

"This can't be...I failed. I'm sorry, Mom. I never got to avenge. My whole life's been a pathetic waste."

"I never wanted this for you. You need to let go, my dear little son. I want you to be happy, not to wallow in the past."

Liam thought he was hallucinating. Time seemed to be in slow motion and he could swear he heard his mother's voice in his head.

"But I thought you would be disappointed with me...that you would think I didn't love you if I didn't try to avenge you."

"Liam, the greatest way you could show that you love me is by living as the wonderful boy I know you are. You won't die here. You're going to live for something great. I'm so proud of you, my son."

Time resumed so quickly that Liam had no time to react. Liam shut his eyes as the shadow sword swung down at him.

"Retribution!" came a voice from his own mouth that he hardly recognized as his own. A ghostly image of Liam's mother, now angelic-looking, appeared behind him and wrapped her wings around him. The image faded and a white barrier appeared around him, which deflected Aeron's attack in a bright flash right back at him. Liam smiled, feeling happier and more free than he had in a long time before he collapsed to the ground, his consciousness fading in and out.

* * *

"-" (Aeron is severly injured by the limit break, but he manages to stager to Liam and lift his limp body off the ground. He is infuriated with him at this point.)

* * *

Liam was barely on the edge of consciousness and his lolled to the side as he hung from Aeron's hand. He strained to open his eyes and looked at the man. For the first time he noticed that his one eye was normal again, devoid of the blackness that he had identified with his mother's death for so many years.

"I forgive you," he managed to whisper to the assassin. He mustered all the strength that he had left in his body and lifted his hand toward the others.

"Cure3!" he croaked before his mind slipped into darkness.

* * *

Uri felt the sudden rush of health and his bones mending and sprang to his feet to help Liam.

-

"I forgive you."

Aeron's seething anger fell away as he heard those words. Out of all the atrocities he had commited in his life, the person who had reason to hate him the most just let it go. He felt his muscles relaxing and he went to set Liam to the ground when the sickening feeling of metal pierced into his side.

His arm buckled and he dropped Liam to the side. He looked down into Samora's sky blue eyes that were soaked in tears and gasped for air as she slowly pulled her katana out of his flesh. He lurched to the ground and fell to the side, blood staining the ground around him.

Samora stood watching Aeron for a moment, a flood of emotions washing over her, before helping the others take Liam to the airship Aeron had shot them down in. She turned back one final time before she entered and her mouth dropped open when she saw he had vanished. Without another thought she quickly boarded and set in the coordinates for Edge.


	16. Chapter 16

Alistair sat down in a seat and sighed. After all that had just transpired he didn't know what to think.

"Is he going to be okay?" he asked Samora. He wanted to feel angry about Liam betraying them and setting them back but he couldn't help but feel such a strong wave of sympathy for the boy. He could only imagine what he'd been through.

After looking at Samora though, he realized that Liam wasn't the only one who had just gone through something traumatic.

"I forgot how much she felt for him," he thought.

* * *

Samora held her breath and chewed on her lip.

"He'll be fine." She said her voice coming out hoarsh. Then turned her attention to the monitors. "We'll be coming up to Edge soon."

Uri sat next to Liam looking down at the boy. He seemed to be alright considering what he had just gone through. He looked calmer now, at peace. He would have a lot to answer for when he woke up, but at least now his life wouldn't be a tormenting cycle. He could move forward.

Uri just hoped he would be able to do the same when he confronted Victor Cross.

* * *

Alistair approached Samora and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Are you going to be all right?" he asked softly. He knew how awful she must feel right now and the kind of conflicting emotions she must have battling inside her.

Elia rolled out of her bed and checked the clock.

"Ugh it's late. Damn, I need a scotch."

She grabbed her cell phone and called Aeron.

"Hey, let's get some late night drinks and fast. Considering what tomorrow is going to be, I think the two of us should celebr-"

She stopped short when she suddenly realized that something was wrong.

"Hey, Aeron, are you all right?"

* * *

"They used me." She said as tears forced their way into her eyes. "I cared for them both. I...loved them both and they didn't..." She turned to Alistair and choked back a sob. "I'm such an idiot. I think I just wanted what you and Amara and Uri have and it was all a lie. I have nothing now."

She shuddered as her tears trickled down her cheeks and clenched her teeth. She dug her palm into her eyes and tried desperately to make herself stop crying. This wasn't the time for it. Amara was still in trouble and they needed to help her. She took a few quaking breaths then nodded to Alistair.

"I'm sorry I lost it there." She said resuming to knaw on her lip. "I'm fine."

Aeron had made his way into the sickbay area of the crashed airship and was patching himself up. He'd be well enough to be under way within the hour thanks to the well stocked medical facility.

"I'm fine." He coughed, feeling some blood come up. "Sorry I can't make it for that drink. You better hurry with your plans. The others are headed back to RETABLIR, they...got away from me."

* * *

Liam felt consciousness returning, and that realization made him surprised.

"I'm...alive?" he wondered. Feeling returned and he could tell that he was propped in a chair. He opened his eyes slowly and saw that he was in an airship, but not the one they had come in. For a moment he wondered if Aeron had taken them all after all but he turned and saw Uri sitting close by.

"Uri?" he asked, his voice coming out as little more than a groan. "What-what happened?"

"That's not true," Alistair said, feeling such empathy for the girl and a strange sense of thankfulness that he, Amara, and Uri had developed such a closeness as to be envied.

"You still have me and Uri and Amara...and Arashi, Ben, and Leah. We all care about you. And...I'm sure when Liam comes around that he'll explain himself. To be honest, I don't know if I would have done anything differently if I were in his place."

At the moment all thoughts of getting a drink were forgotten. Elia didn't make attachments, but Aeron was the closest thing she had to a friend, even if their relationship wasn't typical.

"He lost? Aeron lost? How the hell did this happen?" she wondered.

"Do you need me to come out there? You sure you can manage?" she asked him.

* * *

"After you cured us," Uri explained, "Samora stabbed Aeron. We carried you into his ship."

"You mean you would have used me too?" Samora asked narrowing her eyes at him. She understood what he meant, but the wound was too fresh for her to be comforted. "You wouldn't have told me that I was falling in love with your mother's murderer? Believe me I understand his desire for vengence. If those bastards that killed my dad hadn't been shotdown in a gang war a week later..." She balled her hands into fists.

Stop. He's trying to help.

"I'm glad you guys are there." She said after a moment. "Thank you."

"I'll manage." Aeron said checking his surroundings. "I should be able to get this ship up and running. Just be careful Elia."

* * *

Liam blinked in surprise at Uri's words.

"Samora stabbed Aeron?"

He shook his head and stood up. He needed to talk to everyone, to make things right again. He realized they would probably never forgive him and ditch him once they reached Edge, but he still owed them an apology for all he had done.

"I've got to find Samora and Alistair," he told Uri and began to run toward the front of the ship.

"Of course," Alistair replied, glad that she had changed her mind toward the end. He had thought for a moment that she was going to turn on him. Besides, he didn't want to bring it up - especially now - but he had a feeling that Liam had tried to tell Samora about Aeron's true nature, if not what he had done to the boy. Maybe she would remember that when she had time to cool down.

"Yeah, I will," Elia replied before hanging up. She sat back on her bed and narrowed her eyes.

"Those little twerps managed to get the better of Aeron. I'd better make sure that I know what I'm doing."

* * *

Uri decided to tag along with Liam. He knew Alistair probably felt like he did as far as understanding the boy's actions, but Samora...

She may not be so quick to forgive. He thought frowning.

Samora gave Alistair a weak smile before her eyes flickered to the door as it slid open and Liam and Uri walked through. Her smile quickly fade and she turned forward again.

"I'm glad to see you're ok." She told him. She was sincere, but her voice lacked any enthusiasm that would suggest she was. Images of the fight between Aeron and Liam flashed in her mind and the look in Aeron's eyes when she stabbed him. She swallowed hard as the feelings churned within her again and started chewing on her lip to keep the tears from falling.

* * *

Everything was quiet for a moment as no one knew quite what to say. Liam looked at Samora's back and imagined how upset she must be. He opened his mouth to explain but no words came out.

"I'm sorry," he suddenly croaked out, and was surprised to feel the tears that began running down his face. He balled his hands into fists and put his head down as more tears forced their way through.

"I'm sorry..." he said again, this time louder and more desperate. He wanted her to understand, to make her understand, but he knew that it was impossible. He had chosen his way and now he was stuck with it. He just wanted to run away now more than anything and hide from all of them but his feet seemed to be glued to the spot as sobs racked his little body.

Alistair turned to Uri and exchanged a knowing look before turning to Samora with a sigh. He had to wonder if they would ever be the same again.

* * *

Samora sat with her back to Liam listening to him cry. Slowly she stood from her chair and turned to glare at him, her hands still clenched so tightly her knuckles were turning white. She wanted to be angry with him, she wanted to hate him, but the truth was she couldn't even stay mad at him while he was betraying her. The truth was she loved him.

Feeling as though her heart was breaking seeing him like this, she rushed over and threw her arms around him and sobbed. After a few moments she pulled away and looked him in the eye.

"Don't get me wrong." She said with a choked chuckle, "I'm mad as hell at you! But we're family right?" She hugged him again.

Uri looked on in shock at the scene and glanced over at Alistair.

"Wonders never cease." Uri said in an undertone.

* * *

"Thanks, Samora," Liam whispered, hugging her back like he would never get another hug again. He felt dizzy with happiness and knew that everything was going to be all right.

"They certainly don't," Alistair whispered back with a broad smile. He turned and looked out the viewport to see the sun beginning to appear on the horizon.

"We'd better hurry," he said to the others, sorry to break up the moment. But in truth, time was running out. They had to find Amara soon, and who knew what else would be happening at RETABLIR this day.

* * *

"Banzai!" Arashi yelled as he emerged from the bushes, slicing through several soldiers coming at Leah. "Sorry I was late. Fell asleep on the toilet." Arashi said with a smile.

* * *

Cross exited his office on the way down to the sublevel science lab to check on the test results. He stayed in the building through the night and was feeling the strain of exhaustion weighing on him. He checked Mei's desk as he passed intending to tell her he was stepping out for the morning, but she wasn't there.

Odd. He thought frowning. She must be running late.

He road the elevator down several floors to the lab. When he entered the room, he noticed the usual stoic mood was replaced by a slightly more energised one, or as energised as these people could get.

"What's the status?" He asked the lab coat in charge. He turned and took in the director with excited eyes.

"We just got the test results." He said guiding the director to the edge of the room and flipping open a file. "She has an outstanding level of mako energy in her system. There is a mass of untapped power housed within her body. I could spend the next ten years studying it."

"You don't have years." Cross told him gravely.

"Right, right." The doctor stuttered before continuing. "There was one more thing. Her cells are immune to geostigma. The strange thing is they don't act as antibodies to fight the infection, they are simply not affected by them."

"Are you certain?" Cross asked seriously looking over the file. The doctor simply nodded.

Amara listened carefully to every word and her mouth involuntarily twitched.

"You were special." Said the young voice. "She didn't want them to know."

We were still not right to clean the lifestream. Amara replied. We were meant for something else.

"They would have studied you. Taken you apart piece by piece. The only hope you had was if they didn't think there was a use for you."

So she lied to keep us safe. Give us a chance at a normal life. She never expected Cross to...

"He was afraid. He still is afraid."

He has reason to be.

"That's a little too much information." Leah laughed despite the severity of the situation and gave him a wink. "I'm just glad you didn't fall in. Come on, we have to get the villagers out of here. These soldiers are going to over run this place in no time."

* * *

Arashi smiled. "You evacuate the villagers. I'll hold these bastards off. Go!" arashi said as he lunged forward, slicing through two soldiers and then attacking another. Besides, I don't want you to see what I'm about to do...

* * *

Leah was a bit surprised at the order. Only her parents really ever told her what to do, otherwise she would take charge. She didn't stand arguing however and started filing the villagers to the base to get on the transports.

She had to redirect them several times as soldiers swarmed around her, but she was ready for them and sliced them down like a hot knife through butter giving them enough time to get past and keep going.

"Leah!" Ben cried sprinting up to her to help guide the villagers. "Thank god! I just heard these soldiers attacked two villages before this one and it looks like this is just a run through to their next target."

"Has the Wutain government been alerted yet?" Leah asked picking up the pace now that he brother was there to help.

"Coms are still down." Ben informed her. "They had to use fire signal in hopes of getting the message to them in time."

"Ancient, but effective." Leah said with a smirk, "Hopefully the other villages will start the evacuations...Look out!"

Ben forced the villagers to the ground and covered over them as Leah sprang up and threw her blade towards a group of soldiers rushing to them. They were cut in half as the spinning blade plowed past them and looped back like a boomarang to Leah who snatched it out of the air without so much a knick.

"There's a woman leading them." Ben told her as he helped the people back to their feet and hurried them onward. "She's all in white and carries a murasame. According to the reports, she can't be killed."

"We'll see." Leah said looking back to the compound. "Take it from here. I'll join you as soon as I can!"

She ran off slashing through soldiers who stood in her path and Ben was left to defend the innocent villagers himself.

Vigdis charged through a squad of Wutain soldiers with a flurry of slashes. She didn't even bother to stop and look back at their mangled corpses as they sunk to the ground.

"Flank the compound and kill everything in your path." She ordered a troop closest to her then turned to another, "Head down into the village and torch it. Same as the last villages gentlemen. Leave no survivors."

* * *

Adray stood in the hallway, looking between Mei's empty desk and Cross' empty office.

"This is strange," he thought, puzzled as to why no one would be around. He felt his phone ring and checked the number.

"Elisia," he read with a smile. He answered it quickly.

"Hello, Elisia," he said warmly. She giggled slightly on the other end.

"Hey, yourself. Umm are you busy now?" she asked.

"Not at the moment," he answered truthfully. He could see her smiling on the other side of the line.

"Great. Want to meet me at the Bloody Harpie? It's that nice little tavern a few blocks away from your headquarters. I want you to meet a friend of mine. I know how stressed out you are with work and he knows these great energy relaxation techniques. Wanna come?"

Adray looked at Cross' empty office and sighed. He knew he shouldn't just leave work, but...

"Sure, why not?" he said, turning his back to the office and walking down the hall. "I'll meet you there."

* * *

Uri looked out the window at the city coming up on the horizon.

"We're almost there." He said feeling his heart pounding madly. He looked back at Alistair. "Have you heard anything from Adray?"

Cross walked over to Amara's side and looked down at the girl.

"You have two hours to get as much information you can." He told the doctors before turning to leave.

"Director I strongly suggest you reconsider." The doctor objected.

"You have your orders." He glared back at him until the doctor conceded. He left the science lab and made his way back to his office.

* * *

When Arashi saw that Leah had left he sighed and ran forward cutting through the soldiers. He then stopped as his eyes lit up with a dark blue coloring and his body was surrounded in a similar colored aura. The soldiers gasped.

"What is he?" One yelled.

"It doesn't matter! Our orders were clear! Kill him!" another said. Arashi then fused his sword with Light magic and attacked the soldiers, cutting through several, sending arms and legs flying in the air.

* * *

Alistair looked at Uri and shook his head.

"Not since that call yesterday. With everything going on I never thought to keep in touch with him."

He looked at the city slowly drawing into view and forced himself to be calm.

"We'll be there soon, Amara."

Adray parked his car and looked at the Bloody Harpie.

"Never seen this tavern before," he mused. He looked around and didn't see Elisia so he proceeded inside.

* * *

Leah slung her riffle over her shoulder and ran up to the tower Ben had spotted the invasion from. She looked out over the town and started taking aim at any soldier that came into her sights.

* * *

Arashi then fell to the ground in a sleep-like state. Suddenly, the ground rumbled with huge earthly spikes bursting from the ground and sending a wave of earth pounding into the bodies of the soldiers. Arashi then jumped up and panted softly.

"Thanks." he said softly.

* * *

"Adray! You made it," Elia said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. He smiled at her and looked around. It wasn't that it was a dirty or shady place, but he just had a feeling that this was the sort of place that people had secret meetings where they didn't want to be seen.

"He's in the back room. Come on," she said, tugging on his arm. He gave a little chuckle and followed her back into the back hallway. She knocked on a door, received a soft "Enter" and walked in.

"Greetings. You must be Adray," a man said, standing to greet him. Adray shook his hand and nodded.

"My name is Silas," Silyl told him. "Elisia tells me you need some relaxation. I'm here to do just that."

"Let's start then," Adray said after a reassuring nod from Elia. Silyl grinned.

"Excellent."

* * *

Lau smiled. It was time. His finger started to descend upon the trigger for the GNSC when the door to his bunker was impaled by a katana. Lau stared in shock as his door was cut down and Vrede appeared behind it. Lau stared back behind him at the near one hundred feet our pure filterless steel.

"How'd you of all people get in here?" he asked.

"Followed you...I always knew there was something wrong with Elia...didn't figure it was becuase she was working for you." Vrede replied. Lau stood up and smiled maniacally.

"I musn't delay the unleashing of Bozulma any farther. You're going to regret having followed me." he growled.

* * *

"So the narcoleptic boy has a secret." Vigdis said approaching Arashi. "That's an interesting ability you have Mr. Nell'aria."

Leah was busy picking off any soldier that looked like they were trying to set the buildings on fire when she witnessed Arashi's new limit break. She froze as she watched him unlease his attack then seemingly pass out. The planet had responded when he was vulnerable and fought for him. She came to her senses when she saw the woman clad in white with a long sword drenched in blood casualy walk up to him. She quickly took aim, let out a long breath and fired off a shot aimed right at her temple.

"What are you I wonder?" Vigdis was saying when the bullet penetrated her skull and she collapsed to the ground. Within a few seconds she groaned and picked herself off the ground, frowning when she saw the blood stain on her blazer. She glared at Arashi and took off her blazer.

"I hate being interupted." She told him before taking up a fighting stance. "I guess I can always disect you to find out what you are."

"Holy **!" Leah said when the woman came back to life. She gathered her weapons and ran out to Arashi who she knew would have to end up fighting her.

* * *

"Just relax and close your eyes," Silyl told Adray. Adray did as he was told and tried to keep from felling nervous. He thought that all his time in the military had given him a good danger sense but it must be off today because he definitely felt a nagging feeling. Elia was right there, though, stroking his hand to keep him calm.

"Now, you might feel a slight invasiveness but don't try to fight it," Silyl added. Adray nodded, trying not to feel uneasy.

"Excellent. Overshadow!"

Adray felt an icey cold stab his brain and he doubled over, trying to make the feeling go away.

"What's...happening...?" he gasped in his mind. Elia rubbed his back and placed her mouth close to his ear.

"It's okay, hunny," she breathed. "Don't worry. I'm here."

Her voice swam through his head and he felt his resistance failing. He wanted to scream for help but blackness closed in from all around.

Adray sat up slowly, his eyes even paler looking and colder than ice. Silyl drew in his breath and smiled with pleasure.

"Perfect."

Elia sidled around and sat in Adray's lap. He stared at her with a blank, unfeeling look. She stroked his face and grinned.

"I'll say. You know, I'm oddly attracted to him like this. Less talkative, more callous. It sends chills down my spine."

Silyl stood and gave her a disgusted look.

"Enough. Take him to RETABLIR now. We don't have much time. I'll be exterting enough influence on him to keep him under your control. If I tried to do a complete control then my hold wouldn't last long enough if we ran into trouble. Make sure you hurry. I'll have to wait here in the meantime."

Elia nodded and stood, followed by Adray. She leaned on his shoulder and smirked wickedly.

"Time for some fun."

* * *

Amara's chest tightened when she heard Cross' order causing the monitor spike minutely, but it was enough to get the attention of one of the technicians. He walked over to the bed to check her vitals.

"I think she's waking up." He told one of the doctors standing by. "Better get some more sedative."

Samora tensed as the ship was coming in to the landing area.

"Umm...I really don't know how to land guys." She told them through clenched teeth.

"I hate airships." Uri said crouching low to the ground in preparation for a harsh landing.

* * *

"Can we keep you like this?" Elia asked Adray as they climbed into his car. She decided to drive, since she had envied his swanky car since they started "going out." He gave her a cold stare, and she shrugged.

"We'll talk about that later," she purred, then shifted the car into drive and headed toward RETABLIR. All hell was about to break loose.

"Damn it all," Alistair said, giving into the urge to curse. Yet again they felt the ship shudder violently as they made impact with the pavement. This time they were at least prepared so by the time the ship came to a stop no one was injured.

"We'd better hurry," he said, helping Liam and Samora up. "There's no time to lose."

* * *

Uri bounded out of the wrecked airship and made a quick examination of their surroundings. He didn't recognize the airstrip they "landed" on. Samora must have used Aeron's departure coordinates to come back and this place was obviously off the normal network grid. So if Aeron had came from here that would mean...

"Aeron's car!" Uri shouted sprinting over to the sleek vehicle. Samora looked at it a moment feeling her shoulders slump, but quickly recovered and ran to meet Uri at the drivers side.

"Now driving I know how to do." She announced before kicking in the window and reaching inside to open the door. Hurrying to brush the glass shards out of the way she leaned down and hotwired the car. "Everybody in!"

Uri didn't need to be told twice and leaped in the drivers door, over the seat into the back and settled in impatient to leave.

* * *

"Put the petal to the metal!" Alistair said as he jumped in the passenger's seat. He turned back to Liam.

"That's what the common people say, right?" he whispered. Liam unsuccessfully fought the urge to snicker.

"Sure," he said, tapping Uri discreetly to join in laughing at the noble's expense.

* * *

While they were preparing the sedative, Amara took a moment to just barely flex her fingers and toes. The paralyze spell had worn down, but her reflexes were still stiff. She'd need to wait until the opportune moment to act. She waited until the needle of the syringe was almost touching her skin when she snatched it from the doctor and stabbed him in the leg, injecting the sedative into him. Before his eyes rolled into the back of his head, she pulled the needle back out and stabbed the next closest to her in the hand. He screamed as the needle broke off between his knuckles, but she silenced him with a palm thrust against his jaw.

"Call security!" Cried someone as chaos erupted.

Amara, seeing a woman running to the com-link, grabbed a scalpel and flung it at her. It stuck in her shoulder before she could press the button. As soon as the scalpel left her hand she jumped off the bed, locked her legs around one of the doctor's neck, twisted and threw herself forward. The momentum caused him to spiral into the air and barrel into three others knocking them out cold.

A scientist tried casting another paralyze spell on her, but she was able to break his wrist and thrust her hand into his wind pipe before he could say anything.

The second to the last tried to be brave and attack her head on, but was knocked back with a swift kick to the diaphram. The last one standing she hurled a metal lab tray at hitting dead center on his nose.

Without stopping to take a breath, she picked up a security clearance badge to open the doors and ran out leaving the entire science lab in complete disarray.

* * *

Adray's car stopped in front of headquarters with a screech. Elia jumped out of the car and shed her disguise.

"Much better," she thought, looking back at her old fighting outfit. She took out her whip and motioned to Adray.

"Let's go."

He didn't reply but followed her up the stairs. Elia spied a guard at the top and smirked. The first victim of the day, it would seem.

"Commander Adray, sir," the guard said, confused. "Who is this girl? She's not authorized to-"

Elia's whip struck like lightning, silencing the guard's words with a sickening gurgle. Elia grinned at the sight of blood and took a deep breath.

"It's been too long," she said with a dramatic sigh. She stepped over the corpse and pushed the doors open. The two guards saw the blood on her whip and ran forward to stop her. Elia gave a wicked laugh and flung her whip. They never even got close.

* * *

Samora sped down the road shifting in perfect time with the engine. She had to let out a laugh, it had been a long time since she'd been able to drive like this.

"Woo hoo!" She cried swerving from lane to lane in between cars.

"There's a lot we don't know about you isn't there?" Uri asked with a snicker.

"Yep!" She shouted back to him pushing in the clutch and shifting down as she took a sharp corner following the signs that pointed to RETABLIR. The tires screetched and burned as the back end slid out, but she quickly righted the vehicle and continued on without once losing speed. "Liam, you're up! Do you know any short cuts?"

While riding up in the elevator, after she tore out the security cameras, Amara took the time to stretch out her muscles and tendons. Now that they were warmed up, she didn't feel as stiff as she did before. The elevator pinged and she jumped up and scurried through the hatch on the ceiling.

The security guards were alerted to a disturbance in the science lab and were standing at the ready in front of the elevator doors. They held their guns at the ready as the doors slowly slid open and glanced at each other when the elevator was empty. Two went in to make sure no one was inside.

There was a clanging noise in the hallway and a petite girl dropped down from the airduct behind one of the guards and drove her fist into his kidneys then threw a high kick at the guard standing next to him bashing in the side of his face and breaking the plastic visor of his helmet.

While using the first guard as a shield, she drew up his batton and went to work on the rest of them.

* * *

Liam leaned forward and watched the road.

"Yeah, there should be an exit coming up on your right. It'll take you by a backroad that comes out right by RETABLIR's headquarters."

"Are you sure?" Alistair asked. The exit on the right came up startling quickly.

"Right!" he yelled and tugged on the steering wheel, causing the car to screech almost out of control as they came out onto the side road.

Elia snaked her whip around another guard's neck and gave a quick tug. The man's limp body fell to the ground in a pile of bodies. She turned back to Adray when another guard charged at her. Before she could move, a silver fleuret flashed throught he air and the man grasped his stomach as he fell to the ground. Adray flicked his fleuret to rid it of the blood that threatened to stain it. Elia grinned and ran a hand along his chest.

"God, that's sexy!" she said with a slightly insane giggle.

* * *

Samora grasped the steering wheel and managed to straighten it out before they collided with any cars.

"Are you crazy?" She asked frustrated. "Sit back!"

It didn't take long before they came in sight of the building.

"We should go around back." Uri suggested. "Use the security entrance instead of going through the front doors. Alistair and I still have full clearance, it shouldn't be a problem...hopefully."

Amara looked at the unconcious guards laying scattered around her. She felt guilty for hurting them, but it wasn't as if she had much of a choice. Now with two battons in hand, she took off for the director's office to confront him and get some answers before she killed him.

* * *

"That's a good idea," Alistair agreed. "We'll run into fewer people and get fewer questions."

For the first time, Alistair's mind wandered over something other than Amara.

"What's going to happen to RETABLIR as a result of all this?" he had to wonder. He shook his thoughts away. There would be time for that later. Amara was all that mattered now.

The purging was going easier than expected, Elia reflected. The guards were pathetically easy. Still, she'd have more fun when she managed to torture Cross and have Adray finish him off, just to put the cherry on top. She punched the button for the elevator and she and Adray got in. It gave a ping once it reached their destination and they exited onto the top floor: the  
director's floor.

"Let's rock this **," Elia said with a grin.

* * *

Cross had his back to the door when Amara came bursting in.

"I had a feeling you would be here." He said half turning his head to glance at her. "Battons? Unnecessary. Your sword is beside the door."

Not taking her eyes off his back, she slowly glided over to where he placed her sword and picked it up.

"I take it you don't think I can beat you." She said bringing her sword in place to fight.

"That's not the case at all." He said turning around to face her. "I prefer it this way. If I do defeat you, then your death won't be meaningless."

He drew his broadsword at that moment and gave her a curt nod before charging forward, slashing through his desk in the process. Amara lept up to meet him and their swords met with a loud crack. Sparks went flying with each blow. He hadn't lost a step with his age and was able to keep up with Amara without a problem.

"How could you do it?" She spat at him between parries and kicks and punches.

"I did what I had to do." He told her blocking a side slash then knocking her back. She flew back to the wall, but flipped around and kicked off flying at im swinging full force. He barely managed to parry the attack, but the force of the blow sent him skidding backwards.

"You murdered them!" She screamed at him. She rushed him again, but he was fast and nimbly dodged out of the way and swung around. She blocked then kicked his knee out from under him. He recovered and countered with a powerful combo of slashes. She gracefully avoided each of his attacks and returned with a fluid combination of her own.

"You were always so graceful." He told her and her eyes widened at him. He arched his sword at her and she knocked it to the side, lept up and looped her legs around his neck and shoulder, then pulled him into the air and flung him down hard onto the ground. His sword went flying out of his hand in the process and clanged in the corner.

"Why did you even make us?" She asked him holding her sword to his neck. He slowly picked himself up and knelt back on his heels.

"I've made a lot of mistakes in my life." He told her, his eyes narrowing. "Creating you was the gravest mistake I made."

Her grip on her sword tightened and her blood ran cold.

"Well," She whispered. "It's time you paid for your mistakes then."

She pulled her sword back to make the final blow, but as she was coming down the doors to his office burst open and Mei came charging in holding a gun up at Amara.

"Step back, Ms. Eilian." She told her. Amara looked from Cross to Mei then back and swallowed hard. She gradually lowered her blade and stepped back. Cross looked back at Mei as she walked towards the two keeping her gun pointed at Amara the entire time. When she was sure Amara would not try anything, she turned her gun towards Cross. "I'm sorry sir."

The gunshot echoed through the halls and Amara's heart stopped as Cross slowly fell forward dead.

* * *

Elia and Adray came up the hall when they heard a gunshot ring out. Elia stopped short.

"That came from Cross' office," she thought, feeling her body tense. She looked at Adray, who was as impassive as ever, then proceeded forward.

Alistair stopped short once they had gotten inside.

"What-what happened?" he gasped when he saw the many dead bodies of guards. Liam winced and took a step back. It was really a horrible sight to see.

"Something's very wrong," Alistair told the others. "We need to hurry."

* * *

Uri sniffed at the bodies and snorted.

"It's Elia!" He said turning to Alistair. "She did this..."

He spun around and bounded to the elevator followed by the others.

"She'll be heading to Cross' office." Uri said voicing his thoughts before addressing Samora and Liam, "Whatever you do, don't look at her eyes."

-

Amara felt her head spinning. The man she had every intention of killing was now dead, but it made her sick to look at him laying there with a massive hole in his head left from the bullet.

"I received a message from Dr. Beth Powers." Mei told Amara as she holstered her gun, "A fail safe in place in case she was ever killed. It was her password that gave me full access to her account. All research and top secret projects she was involved in."

Mei looked down at Victor Cross and shook her head sadly.

"He was a good man, with good intentions." She said dismally, "But the road to hell is paved with good intentions and he certainly made one for himself."

"Why didn't you let me...?" Amara began to ask but Mei cut her short.

"Justice needed to be served." She answered, "Not vengence."

* * *

"How poetic," Elia said sarcastically as she pushed the door open. She eyed Cross' body, then the two other women.

"Well, fancy that. The freak is still alive," she said with a smirk at Amara. She looked at Adray, then gave a dramatic yawn.

"I don't like bothering with girls. Adray, take care of them."

Adray stepped into the room, regarded Amara and Mei with lifeless eyes, then lifted his fleuret and pointed it at them.

"This is going to be fun," Elia whispered.

* * *

Mei went to pull her gun out again, but Amara held out her hand to stop.

"Wait." She said staring at Adray's lifeless eyes, "It's not him..."

Mei noticed the same and left her gun alone, instead bringing her hands forward in a fighting stance. Amara exchanged a glance with her and the two waited expectantly for Adray to make the first move.

* * *

"Mei..."

Somewhere in the blackness he remembered that name. She was...a friend. Maybe the only one he had in many years. He wanted to call out to her, but he felt the little scrap of consciouness that he'd recovered fade away.

-

Adray stared blankly at both girls, then suddenly lunged forward at Amara, stabbing his fleuret at her multiple times, hoping to get an opening. Elia smirked, but it suddenly faded as she sensed people coming up the elevator.

"Damn it," she cursed when she realized who it was.

* * *

Amara parried and sidestepped Adray's attack as best she could. It was disconcerting defending herself against someone she had no desire to hurt and made any counter move difficult to execute. She was just barely able to cartwheel out of the way before his fleuret pierced her shoulder and Mei took the oportunity to jump in and release a combo of punches and jabs at his abdomen.

-

As soon as the elevator doors slid open Uri caught Amara's sent and his heart soared with relief.

"Amara's here!" He cried then realized she wasn't alone. "So is Elia."

Samora followed Uri out and studied the crazed blond woman standing between them and the directors office where the sounds of a struggle could be easily heard.

"Damn," She commented, "That ** looks crazy!"

* * *

Adray took the Mei's hits like nothing and gave her a backhanded fist to knock her out of the way. He turned back to Amara and swiped his weapon at her neck before stabbing at her stomach.

-

"I'd shut your mouth, **, before I shut it for you," Elia sneered. She looked at Uri and Alistair and laughed.

"So you guys are here to stick your noses in my business again. This time I'll make sure you don't walk away alive."

She brandished her whip and took a step forward, looking menacing. Then she suddenly gave a mischievous wink at Alistair.

"Oh, and I'm sorry we won't be having a repeat performance, Red, but I have a new boy toy now," she said, hooking a thumb back at the office as she stepped away. Alistair's eyes widened.

"Adray!"

* * *

Mei tumbled back and gritted her teeth. He didn't feel any pain, so she would have to immobilize him to get him to stop, but she didn't want to risk shooting him. She looked over to the set of batons Amara had carried in with her.

Those will have to do. She thought. Broken bones were preferable to dying.

-

Amara arched back to avoid the swipe at her neck and parried the stab to her stomach.

"Come on commander!" She said trying to reach him, "I know you don't want to hurt us!"

She backed away from him as Mei ran up from behind and swung her baton low at his knee.

-

Uri growled at Elia and circled around to her side.

"What did you do to him?" He asked through clenched teeth.

* * *

Adray stabbed his sword into the ground between his leg and the baton, blocking the attack. He then turned and grabbed Mei by her shirt before throwing her into Samora. He pulled his saber out of the ground and slowly advanced on them.

-

"Me?" Elia said in an innocently sweet voice. "I didn't do anything to him. We have people on our side with powers that you guys haven't even scratched the surface of."

She took a step forward and laughed.

"Sufficed to say, he's my puppet now. Maybe I'll even let him do the honor of finishing you off once I'm done playing. Now, let's begin."

She jumped into the air and flicked her whip at Alistair. He quickly reinforced his forearm as the whip wrapped around it. He then grabbed it with his hand and pulled her toward him through the air.

"Got you," he said before reinforcing his fist and punching at her stomach. She smirked and let go of the whip, vaulting over his body. She snatched the end out of the air and pulled it from his grasp before flinging the barbed end directly at Samora's throat.

* * *

Samora jumped back and flung up her wrist to guard her neck. She whinced as the barbed end sliced open her skin.

Stupid! She scolded herself before pulling out her katana and jumped ahead at Elia swinging down across her chest.

-

Uri saw Adray throw Mei into Amara and tried to run around Elia to help the two girls.

-

Amara landed heavily on the floor and got the wind knocked out of her as Mei crashed ontop of her. They exchanged a worried look before Mei rolled off.

"Adray..." She breathed while slowly rising to her feet. "Please stop this."

"We're friends." Mei added softly, "I'm Mei, remember?"

-

Aeron raced down the streets of edge on the motorcycle he had stolen. When he arrived at the airstrip, he noticed scattered shards of glass on the ground where his car had been.

Samora. He thought recalling her drunken stories about her life.

He turned down a sidestreet heading to RETABLIR.

* * *

Elia propelled herself backward to avoid Samora's attack, her feet skidding along the floor.

"There's too many of them," she thought. But she'd be damned if she let that stop her. She launched herself at Liam and kicked at his head. He ducked down and swiped at her legs with his Sylph Blades but she jumped over them and kicked at his chest. He brought his arms up to defend himself but the force still knocked him back across the floor.

-

Adray stopped and his cold eyes scanned them both. His sword lowered slightly, but his face remained as impassive as ever.

"Mei..." barely came the words from his mouth.

-

That name. It floated around him like a tiny spark of light. He tried to chant it over and over again to keep it from escaping his grasp again and felt more returning.

"Mei...Mei...Mei..."

"Now now, none of that," a voice rang from all around him. He felt everything slip away but he still held on to that last string of hope, the only thing that helped him realize that he existed.

"Mei...Mei...Mei..."

It was a start.

* * *

"Amara!" Uri cried barging into the office. He skidded to a stop and looked over the scene. Cross dead, Adray advancing, Mei and Amara beaten and bruised.

"Uri!" Amara exclaimed lighting up at the sight of him. She wanted more than anything to hug him and never let go, but that would have to wait. "He's being controlled. Mei, try talking to him some more. Uri, help me keep him from killing us long enough for her to get through to him."

He nodded and took up a position to defend the girls.

"Adray," Mei persisted slowly stepping to the side, "remember when I first started working here? We went out for a drink to celebrate. You took me home when I had too much to drink."

-

"Liam!" Somara cried. "Crazy ** **! Take this!"

She dashed forward and combined three slashes with a swift cresent kick at her.

* * *

A dreamy image swam in front of him. A man and woman having drinks and celebrating. They both seemed familiar, but it was too hard to remember. The image changed to the man helping the woman into his car, the woman obviously tipsy. The man seemed to be trying not to laugh at her inebriated state.

Seeing these images mage the empty, cold vastness around him warm up slightly.

"Mei...Mei...Mei..."

-

Adray seemed to be paralyzed on the spot, though his fleuret lowered almost imperceptibly.

-

Elia dodged Samora's first two slashes but caught the third one shallowly. That one moment where she was thrown off by the slash left her open for the crescent kick. She tumbled back on the ground, her golden pig tails splayed out on the ground around her. The sight of that golden hair gave Alistair an idea. He raced forward and threw a reinforced punch down at her. She rolled out of the way as the mage's fist cracked the floor where he hit.

"Son of a **!" she yelled at him and flung her whip at him. A shield appeared around Alistair and knocked the whip aside, thanks to a quick spell from Liam.

"Adray, finish them now!" Elia screamed.

-

Adray's eyes narrowed and he stabbed his fleuret down at Uri, trying to pierce him through the spine.

* * *

Mei smiled at Adray as he seemed to stop in place.

Maybe I'm getting through... She thought hopeful, her expression changed as he narrowed his eyes and flicked his wrist.

Move! Uri's mind shouted registering the attack faster than his body. He shifted to the side causing the sword to just miss his spine but pierced his lung instead.

"Uri!" Amara yelled as she rammed her body into Adray.

* * *

Adray stumbled back against Amara's body slam, but recovered immediately and grabbed her by the throat. He started to squeeze around her neck as he held her in the air, his icy gaze fixed on her struggling face.

-

Alistair turned and saw Adray slowly squeezing the life out of Amara. He started to run forward but Elia cartwheeled in front of him and smirked.

"I don't think so," she hissed and cracked her whip threatingly at him. He jumped back and turned his attention back to the struggle in the office.

"Adray! It's Alistair! We're friends! You have to snap out of this!"

He knew there was one chance that might work. He had to go for it.

"What would Cynthia think?"

-

For the first time Adray's face registered the slightest hint of shock. He suddenly dropped Amara and turned to stare at Alistair, slowly moving out into the hallway.

-

"Cynthia..."

A warm, basking glow filled his senses and caused the murkiness of his mind to lift.

"I know...that name..."

* * *

Amara instinctively gasped for air when Adray released her then immediately hurried over to Uri's side. She put pressure down on the wound causing him to flinch. Blood was quickly filling his lung and he was having difficulty drawing breath, he coughed violently as his body tried to evacuate the liquid.

"I'm right here. It'll be ok." She said as she held onto her friend. His eyes rolled up and he looked at her.

"I'm so sorry I left you alone." He told her between coughs.

-

Aeron followed the path of carnage that Elia and Adray had left in their wake. The others must be here already as well and he knew he'd have to help Elia. Not wasting time with the elevator, he ducked into the stairwells. Merging with the shadows, he practically flew up level after level with astounding speed. Once he reached the floor to the director's office, he solidified and bolted out into the hallway.

-

Samora took a moment to take in what was happening. Each time Adray would start coming around, Elia seemed to be able to bring him back to his puppet state. She had to keep her from speaking to him to give Alistair time.

"Hey blondie!" Samora taunted trying to get her attention then rushed at her and swung her katana down at her head. Her sword met with a surprising clang before it chopped into her skull and Samora gasped when she realized what had stopped her.

"Surprised?" Aeron asked blocking Samora's katana with his gunblade.


	17. Chapter 17

"Hey, decided to join the party?" Elia said with a grin to Aeron. She didn't want for a response since she had to quickly jump out of the way of a fire spell from Alistair. Adray, seeing Elia in trouble, moved forward but Liam jumped in his path.

"Sorry, Commander," he said before unleashing a series of quick swipes with his blades at Adray. Adray blocked the slashes and swish his sword at Liam, nicking him in the shoulder. Liam gasped and covered his shoulder, giving Adray enough time to grab him by the blazer. Liam, instead of wasting time struggling, aimed a kick at Adray's wrist and sent his fleuret clattering to  
the ground over by Alistair and Elia.

* * *

"Couldn't leave you alone now could I?" Aeron said in response to Elia, his silver eyes never once leaving Samora's shocked blue ones.

"Bastard!" Samora shouted finally coming out of her daze and shoved him back. She slashed at him viciously and he met each of her strikes countering with a few of his own.

"Darkness." He outstretched his hand as he cast his spell. She shrieked in frustration when she lost her sight and took several more swings at him, missing each time. "I don't want to hurt you, Samora."

"Too late!" She spat at him then charged to where his voice came from. He blocked her sword and cast her to the side. She stumbled, but righted herself and brought her katana up in a guard position. Her eyes searched frantically for any hint of his silhouette.

"You know you're beautiful when you're angry."

"Grrr!" She sliced at him as soon as the words left his mouth and managed to cut him across his stomach, though it was barely a flesh wound.

* * *

"All right, Red. I'm going to cut you down to size!" Elia hissed. "Fatal Flourish!"

She suddenly appeared in front of Alistair and grabbed his face, forcing him to stare into her eyes. In a moment he felt his body become completely paralyzed. With a snicker Elia let go of Alistair and unleashes a flurry of whip strikes at him, causing countless cuts on his body, before wrapping it around him.

"This will hurt," she told him with a twisted grin. She then pulled on the whip, forcing the barbed end to tear into Alistair as the whip unraveled. He dropped to his knees and tried to shove away the pain that burned all across his body. He could hear the blonde assassin cackling madly with delight.

"I won't give her the satisfaction," he told himself. He forced himself to stand and glared at her.

"Someone's a glutton for punishment," she snickered. He smirked back.

"You're right. One of us is."

Before she had time to retort, he called, "Thunder2!" and unleashed the spell down on her. She barely managed to dodge it, but then it had only been a distraction anyway. She looked up to see the redheaded mage directly in front of her, his face grimly set.

"Tragedy of Roses!" he yelled, unleashing his Limit Break. Alistair unleashed a series of rapid fire, reinforced punches to Elia before knocking her back with an open handed jab to the chest. She coughed and staggered, glaring daggers at him.

"You filthy-

Alistair wasn't done yet. He finished up the combo with a snap of his fingers, unleashing an upward funnel of slicing rose petals. Elia clutched herself as the rose petals dug into her skin countless times. She collapsed to the ground, gasping and hugging herself in a vain attempt to relieve the pain.

"You're finished," he told her.

-

Adray hardly noticed the loss of his primary weapon. He had just seen that Elia was in trouble and knew he needed to help. He turned and hurled Liam, who managed to slice at the commander's left arm to no avail, straight at the unsuspecting Samora.

* * *

Samora was starting to regain her sight and made an upper cut move with her katana when Liam came crashing into her. She flew back and crashed head first into Mei's desk. After blinking out for a moment, she used the desk to pull herself and Liam upright and staggered back into the fight with Aeron.

-

"Uri, drink this." Mei told him giving him a potion. He choked it down with difficulty and it restored some of his health, but he was still badly injured.

"Not good enough." Amara said checking his wounds. She had to fight hard to keep from breaking down, her best friend was dying in her arms and there was nothing she could do about it.

"Amara..." He whispered up at her, but she shushed him.

"Just hold on." She said softly to him. Please don't die, Uri!

* * *

Liam shook his head and watched Samora charge at Aeron again. He felt sad watching her fight against someone she had feelings for. He turned and saw the group in the office, particularly Uri, injured and dying.

"Uri!" he cried and ran to the office. He knelt down and petted the wolf-lion's head.

"I'm good with healing spells," he told Amara. "Let me see if I can help him."

"I owe everyone, after all."

-

Alistair turned his attention from the defeated Elia to Adray.

"Adray, it's me. Your friend Alistair. Think Adray! I was going to be your best man at your wedding. Remember Cynthia! She was the love of your life! She believed you had the strength of heart to do anything, and I do to! Snap out of it!"

"No, Adray!" Elia cried from her spot on the floor. "You and I are something special! We found each other! I complete you!"

-

"Cynthia...my love..."

He no longer felt like a disembodied thought. He was something more. He was regaining his senses, his mind beginning to work faster. Then another voice crashed through his head and he felt a blow to his heart.

"Eli..si..a...Eli..a."

He felt himself being pulled in two directions, one into the light and the other back into the darkness. But he had to fight. He had to, because that's who he was.

"I'm Adray."

-

"Something's wrong!" Silyl gasped, his hands clutching the arm rests of his chair. His control was slipping, his influence being slowly but surely pushed from Adray's mind. He desperately fought to keep his grasp on the commander's mind, but he could feel the man's resistance growing.

"No...it can't be!"

-

"You lived Cynthia, Adray. And she wanted you to be a man of honor and integrity because she loved you too! You're stronger than this. Fight!" Alistair yelled.

-

Adray could feel a resistance pushing on his mind but he felt more strength and renewed vigor from Alistair's voice and words.

"Thank you...Alistair. Thank you, Cynthia."

He felt the blackness fade away and was punged into the light.

-

The reality of the room came back so quickly to Adray that he collapsed to his knees, shaking.

"Adray!" Alistair said, smiling with relief. Adray looked up slowly and smiled back.

"Thank you, Alistair."

* * *

"Please help him!" Amara begged still holding pressure to his bloodsoaked chest.

-

"Samora stop, you're hurt." Aeron said gruffly parrying her blows to the side. Her eyes were dilated and she was having difficulty staying focused.

"You're damn right!" She fumed, her vision was starting to blurr and she started seeing double. While she was trying to regain her equilibrium, Aeron swiped down with his blade against hers and flung it out of her hand. Not seeing an immediate way to attack him, she drew back her hand and slapped him across the face with all her weight behind it causing him to stagger back. "I was in love with you! You should have just killed me!"

* * *

Liam nodded and concentrated his magic power. He had to do this. He owed it to Uri.

"Cure3!" he said, casting the healing spell over the wolf-lion.

-

"What...what's happening?" Adray asked, still a bit dazed. He shakily stood and looked at Alistair. Alistair looked sympathetically at him, then turned his eyes to Elia with an angry flash.

"You were being controlled like a mindless puppet. Elia here and FESTANCA used you to help infiltrate headquarters and wipe everything out."

Adray shook his head. It was almost too much to believe. But he knew it was true. He looked at Elia with hurt eyes, trying to see if he could find some trace of familiarity in her. She wasn't paying much attention to him, however.

"You son of a **! You ruined everything!" she screamed at Alistair as she forced herself to stand.

"You won't have to worry about that for much longer," he replied icily as he snatched Adray's fleuret off the ground. Elia's face paled and her mouth opened in a moment of terror as Alistair thrust the sword at her.

There was split moment where no one knew quite what was going on. The saber pierced flesh, and for a second everything was still. Then suddenly Alistair's eyes focused on the person in front of him and he gasped in horror when he saw Elia laying on the ground, her face matching his in shock, and the fleuret plunged into-

"Adray!"

* * *

Amara released the pressure on Uri as the spell took effect and his flesh began to knit together. He started breathing easier then lifted his head off the ground and flipped over onto his feet. Amara fell on top of him and started sobbing hysterically.

"Thank you." He said softly to Liam before burrying his head in Amara's neck.

"Adray!" Alistair's voice carried through into the office and everyone's attention turned back to the hall.

"No!" Mei cried and ran out of the room.

-

Aeron swiftly stood to his feet and raced to Elia's side.

"Let's get out of here." He told her as he bent down to lift her and carry her away.

* * *

Alistair pulled the fleuret out and dropped it to the ground as if it were white hot. He caught Adray before he could fall and lowered him to the ground. Alistair was going to ask him why he did what he did but Elia beat him to it.

"What the hell were you doing?" she demanded, struggling against Aeron. Adray gave a feeble smile before coughing and clutching his wound.

"I...didn't want you to get hurt," he said simply. She made a noise of disgust.

"You're an idiot! I used you! I never had any interest in you! You were just our pawn to overthrow RETABLIR. Why would you-"

"Because I love you," he said, looking at her. She felt her knees weaken as she stared at him. Those words...a long time ago she remembered how desperate she was to hear them spoken to her.

"You can't love me," she hissed, barely able to say the word. "You don't even know who I am!"

Adray shook his head slowly, as if chiding a kid.

"That's not true. Every moment we spent together, every thing you did to help me overcome my past was as real then as it is now. You may have meant it for something different but it's real nonetheless. And no matter how much you acted, you can't hide who you really are. I know a part of you, buried beneath what you are now, is the same girl I fell in love with."

She stared at him numbly, unable to make out words. After a moment, she turned to Aeron and pulled on his arm.

"We have to go. Now."

Alistair wanted nothing more than to charge at them but he had to watch them go as he tried to keep Adray from bleeding too much.

"Oh, Adray," he said, shaking his head as he felt his eyes moisten.

* * *

Mei fell down at Adray's side and looked the wound over.

This isn't good...

"Hold on!" She told him sternly, as if giving him an order. "I'll call for help."

She dashed over to her desk and made the call. She told them of Adray first, but subsequently had to name off everything else that pertained to the emergency and suddenly felt very ill when she realised the entire building was a war zone.

-

Amara pried herself away from Uri then slowly the two walked to the threshold of Cross' office and looked out to Alistair holding Adray. This was really the first time she was able to really take everything in. She looked down at her bloodstained hands and clothes and saw how well she matched her surroundings. She glanced down at Liam and gave him a desperate look.

"Can you do anything for him?"

-

Aeron guided Elia out to where he'd seen his car before. They didn't exchange a word as they got into the car and drove away as fast as they could.

This was something that would be difficult to recover from for both of them. They would have to face both FESTANCA and INQUINA and who knew what would result from that.

Even though there were a hundred other things to worry about, he absentmindedly brought his hand up to the cheek Samora struck before she fainted. It still burned from her slap and he could feel the welt from her fingers rising.

You'll be the death of me. He thought forcing his hand back on the steering wheel.

-

Leah let out a cry of pain from fresh cut on her thigh from Vigdis' blade. They had been fighting for the better part of two hours and even though she managed to land several hits, there was nothing to show for it. Each gash, cut, even broken bones healed within seconds. She wasn't even tired!

"It's been some time since I've fought such skilled opponents." Vigdis informed them with a smirk, "You should be proud of yourselves. You've lasted longer than I guessed you would."

"Shut up you sadistic **!" Leah hissed feeling the strain of the fight. Her muscles were sore and felt intense pain fromthe open wounds scattered all over her body. Leah swung in a full arch at her, but was easily deflected and recieved another slice, this time across her wrist opening an artery. She had to fall back and clutch her wrist to keep herself from bleeding out.

"What a pity it's already over." Vigdis said with a shrug. "Oh well, at least you two get to die together." She flicked her wrist and brought her sword up to make a final slash across both Arashi and Leah. Her black eyes gleamed with deadly light and a smile twitched at the corners of her mouth as she brought the blade swinging down.

In the blink of an eye there was a flash of steal and Vigdis was laying flat on the ground with a long lance protruding from her chest cavity. Leah gasped for air realising she had been holding her breath and looked up to see Ben falling downward. His hands took hold of the lance as he came down and drove it even farther into the ground successfully pinning the blond to the earth.

"We gotta get out of here." He told them helping the two to stand and started rushing them to their transport. "The village has been fully evacuated thanks to you guys buying us time. The final transport is waiting for us."

He loaded them aboard and set them in place as the airship launched and flew away from the burning village below.

-

Vigdis watched them leave and howled in frustration. She studied the position of the lance in her chest and groaned.

God damn it all. She thought taking hold of her sword. The boy landed his weapon high into her right pectoral. She flipped her sword around so she could hold onto the blade and went to work cutting a path from the lance through to the outside of her ribcage. It took a few minutes, but she was able to work her way free from the pole.

She stood to her feet and stretched, listening as her bones and cartilage snap back into place and mend.

"They are going to die for that." She stated to no one in particular and turned her attention back to her troops.

* * *

Liam looked at Amara and shook his head.

"I already used Cure3 four times today. I don't think I have enough magic power to use it again," he said quietly.

If only he hadn't been stupid and gotten everyone injured before. But there was no point in harping over that. He looked at the others and sighed. What a huge mess.

-

Alistair felt weak seeing Adray like this. How could he have put that witch Elia's life before his own, even knowing that she had used him?

"Maybe there's a lot about love that I still don't understand," he thought. He looked around at the others to make a mental checklist of their conditions.

"Adray," he said, looking back at his friend, "You're going to be all right. Just hang on, okay?"

Adray nodded slowly and looked around for Mei. When he didn't see her, his head sunk lower to his chest.

"I know you don't like her...even hate her..." Adray struggled to say, "But she was hurt and lonely, maybe much longer than I was. Her story was a lie, I'm sure, but I know that much to be true. I just hope I helped her as much as she helped me."

"Helped you to get yourself nearly killed," Alistair thought and had to bite back. He turned and saw Amara, looking bruised and beaten but more beautiful to him that anything in the world.

"She's okay. Oh thank God she's okay," he told himself, his heart lightening in spite of the very grave situation. He just hoped Mei would hurry back to get Adray some help. Then he would hold Amara like he was never going to let go.

-

It felt like eternity before Elia could open her mouth, the action feeling strange and mechanical.

"We don't have to tell them," she said. She knew Aeron was looking at her questioningly but she didn't turn her head.

"We don't have to tell them about Presul being there. The job was to take out RETABLIR, and we did just that."

She knew Silyl would realize that something had happened to cause him to lose grip on Adray, but he was practically dead now anyway so that would be easy enough to fabricate.

"Good. The fool deserved to die," she hissed savagely in her mind. But somehow the words seemed hollow to her.

* * *

Mei hurried back after she got off the phone and knelt down next to Adray.

"Help is on its way." She said softly brushing her fingers along his forehead. "Hold on a little longer, Adray."

-

Aeron nodded to Elia.

"I think that would be best." He agreed. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Are you alright?"

* * *

Adray smiled up at Mei, then suddenly looked apologetic.

"I hope I didn't hurt you," he said, feeling guilty for attacking his friends. Alistair wanted to sigh with exasperation. Here Adray was bleeding from a deep sword wound and he was asking if everyone else was okay.

"He's such a big softie at heart," he thought with a smile.

-

"Of course I'm all right!" Elia snapped, probably a little out of proportion. She checked her wounds and winced.

"Damn, I really need to see a medic. These cuts hurt like hell. Stupid flower-blowing redhead."

* * *

"Heh, don't worry about it." Mei said with a sniff and little laugh, "You've knocked me around harder during training sessions."

-

Amara's heart tightened as she watched Adray slipping. She would have taken the restore materia from Liam so she could heal him, but the scientists drained her magic energy while she was in the lab. Uri wasn't an any position to cast either, his metabolism was burned out from the accelerated healing and he didn't have the strength for it.

Instead of standing there feeling helpless, she decided to make sure Samora was alright. She had a nasty gash on her head from where it hit Mei's desk.

"Samora?" Amara said gently nudging her. She groaned and slowly came around.

"Aeron..." She groaned before passing out again. Amara turned to Uri.

"She has a concusion." She said, then looked at Mei as she spoke with Adray. "I hope help gets here soon."

* * *

Adray gave a faint laugh, but that caused his wound to smart badly. Alistair suddenly heard the sound of ambulances and stood to look out the window.

"They're here," he told the others with a sigh of relief. Medics began to swarm the building, some going to help Presul and the rest going to clean up the bodies of the deceased.

"It's bad," a medic said after checking Adray. "But if we hurry we can still save him."

They gave him a potion to hold him for the trip and loaded him into the ambulance. Another medic checked Samora and sighed.

"Concussion. Better take her too. I suppose you'll want to come along. Just follow the ambulances and we'll take you to the hospital.

Alistair nodded and pulled his car around so Liam, Amara, Uri, and Mei could get in.

"Let's go," he said and followed the vehicles.

* * *

The car ride was silent and, even though they were speeding along behind the ambulances, seemed to take an eternity. Amara sat in the back next to Uri, keeping her hand on his neck the entire time. His fur was still matted with blood from where his wound had been. Every once in a while she would look ahead at Alistair, but her eyes would slowly drift down to her lap.

What will he think when I tell him what I am? She thought sadly and leaned her head against Uri's side.

-

As soon as they got to the hospital, Mei approached Alistair.

"I need to talk to you." She said formally. "After I give the authorities my statement, I'll be taken into custody and a full investigation will be launched. With the director dead and Adray in intensive care, that leaves you in charge."

* * *

Alistair shook her hand, feeling completely dazed. He was the new head of RETABLIR...or whatever was left of it.

"Thank you, Mei," he said quietly. "I'll make sure to let you know how Adray is doing."

He didn't want her to have to worry about Adray's condition on top of her impending investigation. They couldn't stay in Edge for much longer; they had to stop FESTANCA. But he had to do everything he could to help Adray and Mei before he left.

-

Liam approached Amara and Uri and sat by them.

"The doctor said that Samora should be okay. They want her to stay overnight for observation. Adray's in the emergency room right now."

He was glad that Presul had accepted him back in. He hadn't realized how important they were to him before.

"How are you doing, Uri?" he asked, petting the wolf-lion's neck.

* * *

"I'm starving." Uri said lightly nudging the boy with his nose. "Thank you again, Liam."

While Liam was off checking on Samora, Uri had told Amara about all that happened while they were gone, including the incident with Aeron. It was a lot to take in all at once, but it seemed like he was trying hard to redeem himself and she owed him at least another chance for saving Uri.

"If you two want to get something to eat," She suggested before she stood up, "I'll meet you in the cafeteria in a few minutes. I want to talk to Alistair."

"Amara..." Uri began feeling reluctant to let her go, but conceded when she gave him a look, "don't be long ok?"

She gave him a sweet smile before going off to find Alistair.

* * *

Alistair watched Mei leave, then turned and saw Amara coming toward him. He gave a tired smile and ran to meet her, pulling her into a tight embrace when he did.

"I'm so glad you're okay," he said, stroking her back. "I don't know what I would have done if - well, it doesn't matter anymore. You're safe and with us, with me."

He pulled back just enough so he could look at her.

"I'm babbling, aren't I?" he said with a grin. "All my eloquence, right out the window. You do the most unusual things to me, you know."

-

Silyl brooded darkly in his chambers. Something had gone wrong. He wasn't sure what had happened, but when he regained enough of his power to use Oracle, he had seen that the RETABLIR headquarters had indeed been purged. Still, he had lost his control on Lasbard, and he wanted answers.

"Those two better be ready to explain," he thought. He snatched his phone up and called Vigdis.

"Vigdis, how goes the Wutai operation?"

* * *

Amara felt so safe and secure in Alistair's arms, she didn't want to be anywhere else. She laughed lightly when he started babbling and her eyes glistened from sheer joy at being with him again.

"I think it's sweet." She said to him softly, "I'm just happy to hear your voice again. I love you so much."

She hugged him even tighter and kissed his cheek over and over before resting her head on his chest.

-

"The operation was a success." Vigdis told Silyl. "We did run into a few complications with that PRESUL group, but we have overtaken Wutai. And RETABLIR?"

* * *

Arashi moaned softly, having fell unconscious after unleashing his power. His eyes began to flicker and he looked around. Where am I now?

-

Lau leapt forward, sending his fist rocketing towards Vrede's face. Vrede sent his sword up to block, only to be sent sliding across the ground, leaving a broken trail as his feet skid back. After regaining his balance, Vrede leapt towards Lau and swung his katana at lightning fast speeds. When Lau raised his arm away from his face, Vrede pulled his gun from it's holster and pointed it at Lau's head.

"See ya, ya psychotic son of a **." he said as he pulled the trigger. Lau grinned and with incredibly blurred motions, threw vrede backwards and managed to crush the bullet at the same time. Vrede stared in shock and Lau laughed.

"You don't think that I'm Bozulma's favorite for the mere reason of my technological servitude. I follow his style of combat and use it against my opponent." Lau said. Vrede spat.

"So you're his ** or somethin'?" Vrede asked.

"This is no '**' who stands before you. That you will see."

* * *

"I love you too," he whispered in her ear. They just stood like that for a while, Alistair didn't even know how long, before he let go and looked her in the eye.

"So what happened? Did Cross really kidnap you? What did he want?"

-

"The same. They're becoming quite troublesome," Silyl replied, digging his nails into his palms.

* * *

Amara was ata loss for words as she thought of a way to explain everything.

"We better sit down." She said finally and led him to a secluded area then proceeded to tell him everything that happened.

"I don't remember everything." She told him, "But I remember enough to know he was telling me the truth." She looked at him sadly. "I wasn't born. I was grown. I never really had a family expect for the other kids and they're all..." She looked away from him then. "It's like I'm not even a real person."

* * *

"Don't ever talk like that," Alistair said, placing a hand on her cheek and rubbing his thumb along it. "You're not a monster. I have no problem believing you were created though. Who could be born this perfect?"

He kissed her forehead and smiled. He didn't care what Cross or anyone else said. Amara was perfect and he planned to stay by her.

-

"I wonder what's taking them," Liam mused as he took a sip of his drink. He decided he didn't like hospitals much.

* * *

When he saw that Arashi was coming around, Ben left Leah's side and sat next to him.

"We're on an air transport heading back to Edge." He told him. "Wutai has successfully been evacuated. It's a good thing we got out when we did, you two almost didn't make it."

-

Uri didn't much like hospitals either. Especially this one, it was cold and the food wasn't very good.

"I'm sure they won't be much longer." He said hopeful that it was true, though he doubted it.

* * *

(to be continued...) 


End file.
